Tick Tock
by A.Rose.Love
Summary: Eighteen year old Katniss Everdeen thought the day was going to be just like any other. But things start to go drastically wrong when she finds herself falling down a rabbit hole and into another world. AU PeetaxKatniss
1. Down the Rabbit Hole

This is going to be a multi-chaptered endeavor. I'm going to guess between 10 and 11 for now. It's a mix between The Hunger Games and Alice in Wonderland, just with a twist. Please review to tell me what you think, or how I could improve. Thank you for taking the time to read this. :D

I'll be updating once or twice a week.

I don't own the Hunger Games nor do I own Alice in Wonderland.

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_Tick Tock._

"Marry me, Ms. Katniss Everdeen?"

The female's dove eyes flitted across the male in front of her. He had similar grey eyes, and olive toned skin. There was a nervous grin on his lips, a silver ring in a velvet box in his large hands. He was down on one knee, looking up at her.

There was a crowd gathered down below them, holding their breath and waiting in apprehension. Mrs. Hawthorne was up front, with her brown hair in curls pinned against her skull. Her slender hands were wringing in white gloves, probably as anxious as her son was.

"I-I…" Katniss looked out at the crowd, her stomach doing twists. Gale was her friend, but _husband?_ That was an entirely different story. "I need a moment please." She said, hastily snatching up the layers of her dress and skittered away from the scene.

She could hear everyone audibly gasp, and she bet her mother was a few levels passed _pissed_. But she couldn't force herself turn back around.

She and Gale were friends, the kind that climbed trees together, and made mud pies when they were children. He wasn't the kind of friend she wanted to kiss, or cuddle with. And _definitely_ not the boy she wanted to marry.

Her feet carried her faster away from the horrendous gathering behind her. She heard Gale call her name, she heard tiny footsteps following her and her name was called again. But this time, it was through her little sister's voice.

"Prim go back to mother," Katniss called over her shoulder, not slowing or stopping. There were evergreens lining the grounds surrounding the gigantic Hawthorne palace. Paths intertwined in random patterns, kissing a handful of streams and a major river. Yellow and red roses also lined the pathways, lavender and silver king laced their way underneath the trees too.

"No," the other girl called. Kat could imagine the smaller girl struggling with all the layers their mother forced them to wear. Being 14 had its drawbacks; one of them was a sense of weakness. If she could outrun her baby sister, she would have freedom. "Katniss, just stop and talk to me!"

The eldest Everdeen daughter kept running, the heels of her shoes kept sinking into the soft earth causing her to trip over herself. She fell onto the ground, dirt and small stones digging into the palms of her hands as she tried to brace herself.

"Kat!" Primrose was at her side within seconds, leaning down and wiping the sheen of sweat that had gathered on her forehead. "Please, I just want to talk with you."

The 18 year old watched her baby sister for a moment before nodding. She turned her hands so that she could inspect the cuts she now had in her skin. She smeared the mixture of blood and dirt onto the ruffles on her dress. "Damn thing." She mumbled, noting the grass stains that now littered the fabrics.

Prim's thin fingers pushed a few strands of dark hair over Kat's shoulder. "I'm not going to yell at you, I'm not Mrs. Hawthorne, I'm not Mother." She settled on the heels of her boots. She was still too young to be forced into high heels. "I just wanted to make sure you were okay, and see what you wanted."

Wide grey eyes met china blue ones, and an understanding was exchanged. "I just don't… I don't like Gale that way."

The petite blonde nodded, "No one says you have to," her hands were still playing with the waist-long tresses, braiding them together so that they wouldn't get in the way. "It's your life, Katniss, if you don't want to marry Gale then no one will make you."

"Mother will!" the girl cried out, trying to hold back tears. "Ever since father died I-"

"I know," the young adolescent spoke tenderly. "Father made sure you knew how to protect Mother and I, and now she's expecting you to marry wealthy so that she and I can live relatively easy lives." Katniss nodded in misery. "And because you feel responsible for us, you feel guilty for wanting a husband you actually love."

Stone eyes widened to the size of the moon. "How did you-"

"I'm young, I'm not stupid." Katniss laughed at the statement. It was true, Primrose was one of the smartest girls her age. She didn't screw around in school, and boys weren't a high priority on her list, two things very different between her and most other 14 year olds. She wanted to be a doctor, and she was determined to get there no matter what.

"I know you're not." Kat pulled the slender girl close and crushed her in a hug. "My super smart baby sister."

"Ugh, now you're just embarrassing me." They giggled at that, and the tension that had been downing them dissipated. A breeze blew by, carrying sweet, floral filled air into their nostrils. It calmed the females further.

Katniss opened her mouth to say something else, but footsteps stopped the words before they could formulate on her tongue.

A tiny woman stepped out from behind a pine tree. She had large owl eyes that devoured most of her face. They were an odd mixture of brown and green. She was watching them, and then after a few heartbeats, a large smile overtook her small face. "Come on, Real Alice, we're running out of time." She pulled on a golden chain that connected her skirts to a breast pocket. From there she brought out a glittering golden watch.

Even from the distance, Katniss could see a bird emblazed on the front. It was large, with a slender beak, and she knew that in real life it would have swirls of black and white. She would know it anywhere. Her father used to sing with the birds, sharing his songs with them and they would carry them into the woods that surrounded their old house.

The Mockingjay.

"Who are you talking to?" Prim asked out loud, her pale brows furrowed and her lips were pursed. "Neither of our names is Alice."

It almost wasn't possible, but the smile widened and then the woman cackled. "Tick tock," she replaced the gleaming metal back into her pocket, and stared at the two sisters for another moment. "Real Alice, we're late for an important date. Tick tock, tick tock." Her black hair hung limp over her bent shoulders. Another laugh escaped her lips before she turned and fled back behind the pine.

"Wait!" Katniss called, clamoring to her feet as quickly as she could. Her palms stung, but she grit her teeth and started to run after the bizarre woman. Prim was following just as quickly, only a handful of steps behind.

She gathered the ruffles into her hands again, trying to get a better stride between her steps. The damn dress made everything more difficult. Her feet caught on uneven tufts of grass as she ducked behind the pine's branches. There were sticks lying haphazardly, cracking and breaking underneath her shoes. Katniss swore and she vaguely heard a giggle exit Prim's throat. She had always thought obscenities were funny.

The oldest Everdeen girl could barely see the woman as she skittered farther ahead. She was stumbling over her feet almost as much as the sisters were. She let a cackle ring again, _tick tocking_ her way around a bend in the trees.

There she paused and waited until the two girls caught up, and then, with a chuckle, she dove head first into a hole that was nestled among the roots of a willow tree.

Its branches reached down and caressed the ground, the only other breed of tree in a twenty mile radius. The Hawthorne's liked their evergreens. Katniss walked closer, her breath coming in and out of her lungs in painful bursts.

The blonde girl looked to her sister with questions in her sky colored eyes, she was panting as well. "What just happened Katniss? You saw her too, right?"

The elder nodded, her eyes were scanning the dirt around the gap. Roots were protruding and disappearing down below. It was large, at least three feet wide, and it was incredibly dark. It was midday, the sun was glinting and smiling from its position in the center of the sky, and no clouds were there to dampen the light. But even though the area was brightly lit, and the first few inches of mud were visible, it became impossibly dark.

The longer Katniss observed the hole, the more it looked like there were stars shining back up at her, as if the hole went the entire way through the earth, and she was staring at the other side of the world.

"Kat, this scares me." Primrose reached out with tiny fingers and clasped onto Katniss' hand. "How did she go into it? It's much bigger than a rabbit's hole."

The elder girl nodded in agreement, but she didn't speak. Instead she gripped her sister's hand tightly. She was having trouble processing it herself. Taking a couple of hesitant steps closer, she was standing directly beside the chasm, and she couldn't for the life of her figure out what it was for.

She bit at her lips, and wiped her still bleeding palms against her skirts once more. The breeze blew past again, but this time it felt ominous, like the sweet floral scents were masking something much more sinister. "Prim I think we should go back-"

But her voice was lost as the dirt beneath them seemed to groan. There was a cracking noise, and Katniss knew it was the roots below their shoes breaking. And before she could react, jump or clutch to anything besides her sister's hand, she felt herself tumbling forwards into the yawning darkness.

She heard screaming, and somewhere in the back of her mind she realized it was coming out of her own throat. A scent of damp, rotting leaves attacked her nose, causing a tickling sensation to travel the entirety of her nasal passage. Her eyes adjusted as they fell, air blowing past them as they dropped into the center of the world.

There were doors embedded into the dirt walls, some were open revealing slices of someone's life. Most of them were closed, with different knobs. She let her eyes travel from the singular bright point in the tunnel, the hole from which they came, and as they fell, it seemed to grow impossibly far away.

She didn't know how long they were tumbling, but eventually Prim stopped screaming and just clung to Katniss. She hid her face in the older girl's chest, thin arms wrapping tightly around her waist. Kat let her fingers pull through the pale strands, trying to calm her sister as much as possible.

After a while she was concentrating on the faint sounds of Prim's breathing, when she felt her eyelids droop with fatigue. The air rushing past them became normal, and the doors became sparse. And then, she fell asleep.

_**x. o. x. o.**_

When Katniss woke, she didn't know where she was. They were lying in an open field, the grass reached high above their heads. Prim was still attached and sleeping against her. But Kat carefully extracted herself from her baby sister's grip, and stood.

Immediately she felt sick to her stomach as panic started to well and overflow directly from her chest, and she felt her heart's speed increase by about a million.

The sky was orange, the color of sunset in their world. But the entirety of the atmosphere was encased in auburn, soft and startling. Her grey eyes swung wide and she noticed trees in the distance. They were different as well. Their branches reached high up into the foreign sky, the leaves were tinted in random hues of purple, the trunks of the trees were shades of blue.

Katniss swallowed again, a lump was stuck in the middle of her throat. She felt a tear run down her cheek and a strangled noise escape from her mouth. Prim made a noise from the ground, something between a sigh and a groan.

"Katniss, I had the weirdest dream that we fell through a rabbit hole," Within moments the blonde was on her feet, fully awake, standing shoulder to shoulder with her sister. "Why are you…"

But her voice fell into silence as she noted the obvious differences in their new world. The orange stratosphere and the blue trees. One of her small hands came up to rest on the older girl's shoulder. "We're not home anymore are we?"

Kat shook her head, wiping the stray tear away and sniffing once. "No, Prim. We're not in Panem anymore."


	2. A Cat

Because I'm excited about the response so far, I've decided to update today :3

Thank you all so much for the reviews, favorites, and alerts. I appreciate that you are reading this story, and I hope you like chapter two. :) Please leave a review and tell me what you think.

I don't own the Hunger Games.

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_Tick Tock_

Prim's hand was tucked firmly against her palm as they walked into the odd blue forest. Everything was muted in here, the light couldn't quite penetrate the cobalt hue that seemed to be infused with the air.

"Katniss I'm hungry," Prim mumbled. She had never done well on long hikes. Within minutes she would get tired and ask to go home, request a snack as soon as they left their house. Primrose wasn't one to parade around outside, even when she knew the basic layout of the area. But she would have traded her brand new goat to just be in the normal woods behind her home. The ones where trees were brown instead of blue, where leaves were a healthy green instead of tinges and taints of purple. She didn't like the orange sky, especially when it was the exact opposite of the calming blue one she knew from home.

"I know, Little Duck, I am too." Katniss cursed inwardly. She didn't know anything here, she didn't have a knife, and she really didn't have a bow or arrows. Hell, she didn't even know what was edible and what wasn't. "We just have to keep walking Prim."

"Can't we just go back and go through the door again?"

With a shake of her head the younger girl fell into silence. "Prim, the doorway was in the sky, we have no possible way of getting up to it. And even if we did we would have to climb for a long time before we came close to our ground."

The blonde knew her sister was right, but she couldn't stop the few tears that leaked from her blue eyes. "I'm just scared, and I don't like this place. It's so strange." Her feet caught on something hard and she tripped.

Kat caught her and hugged her for a minute. They had been walking all morning, and seemed to get nowhere. There wasn't a hint of water, or a trickle from a stream, and the forest seemed to go on forever. "We can rest for a little, okay?" she got a weak nod as an answer. "But then we have to keep walking." There was another nod of understanding and the girl let herself fall back in the grasses.

They were knee-high, causing walking to be somewhat difficult. But when she sat back in them, they felt like a bed of down feathers. Prim was about to ask Katniss if she felt just as comfortable on the stalks when she noticed a grey movement from her peripheral vision.

A grey cat stepped out from behind the knee-high grasses.

Primrose sat up and watched the creature, noting it's luminous green eyes that appeared to be the size of the sun. Even from a distance she could see that they were sprinkled with flecks of evergreen and lime. He seemed to purr as he took careful steps closer to the young girl, large eyes moving to meet hers. His rough fur was tattered and beaten, like an old rug no one wanted anymore.

"Hello," Primrose mumbled softly, holding her hand out for the animal to sniff. He did, and then wiped his whiskers against her skin, causing her to giggle a little bit. "What's your name?" She asked, picking it up and cradling it against her chest. She rubbed her finger underneath his chin, causing him to purr. "I can't imagine what a fellow like you is doing out here, but don't worry, I'll take care of you."

"Prim," Katniss started.

"I don't have a real name, everyone just calls me the Cheshire Cat."

Kat screamed as the blonde hurried and held the animal an arm's length away from her. "Excuse me?" she said softly, staring straight into the luminous eyes. Her mouth was hanging open, eye brows hidden in her hairline.

"I said, everyone just calls me the Cheshire Cat," the grey thing said again, starting to wriggle in the girl's slender hands. "Now, if you please, I would like to be put down."

She promptly did, setting him delicately back on the ground. He lifted his paw to his mouth and started to lick it clean. Prim stared at him for a few moments. "Katniss, you heard him too, right?"

The older sister nodded, "Prim, come here please, I don't want you by it. Whatever it is."

The animal hissed at her, bearing his teeth. "Don't be rude, girl." The Cheshire Cat's ears lay flat against his head. "I can hear you perfectly fine, and it's not like I'm going to attack her. You, on the other hand, might want to watch out. Besides, I'm one of the only ones who can get you through these woods without facing certain peril."

Primrose giggled. "May I call you Buttercup?"

Green eyes widened, watching her wearily before speaking again. "I suppose, if you desire." He seemed to contemplate for a tick. "You two aren't from around here are you?" the blonde shook her head, and Katniss remained silent. "Where are you from?" he asked kindly, taking a few steps closer to the young sister. He rubbed his head against her arm, a light purr developing in his throat again.

"We're from the 12th province of Panem. I'm Primrose Everdeen, and this is my sister Katniss." She picked Buttercup up and cradled him once more. "We were chasing after a peculiar woman and ended up falling down a hole. We don't know where we are now."

"What kind of woman?" the words rumbled out of his throat.

"Well, she had owl eyes, and a small face. With black hair a-"

"The White Rabbit," He mumbled, "Wiress. Why was she in your world?"

Katniss shrugged, brows furrowing, leery of the talking animal. "We have no idea; she was speaking nonsense about someone named Alice." The cat jumped from Primrose's hands and stalked over to Katniss, eyeing her cautiously. His whiskers twitched as he sniffed the air around her.

"What did she say exactly?" Kat was about to open her mouth to ask the importance of such information but Prim beat her to it.

"Something about the Real Alice. She said we were running out of time, and mumbled _tick tock, tick tock_ over and over again. I told her neither of us is named Alice but she just laughed."

Buttercup seemed to contemplate things once more, again licking at his paws. "I believe that you girls should be headed to see the Hatter. He'll know what to do; he always knows what to do." The animal made a move to stand, but Katniss grabbed him.

"I'm not going anywhere until you tell us where the hell we are!" she said forcefully, holding the animal tightly in her fingers. She saw a grin capture his face, and before she knew what happened, he disappeared from her grasp. Nothing but air was left in her fingertips and she gasped.

"Please don't grab me again," he spoke from behind her, that sly smile still on his lips. The dark haired irl could see the reflection of his teeth in the odd orange light. "I'm a civil being, if you go and grab me like an animal, I will act like an animal. If you are curious about something, please use your manners and ask pleasantly."

Katniss' mouth hung open, "How did you-"

"Please, Mr. Cheshire Cat, where are we?" He flashed his grin towards Prim, teeth glaringly white against the grey of his fur.

"Now that is the way to ask such a question," he seemed to float back towards the delicate blonde girl. "You, my dear, are in a place called Underland. Ruled by the Red King, ever at war with the White Queen." He lost the cocky smirk and looked sad for a heartbeat. "If one of you really is the Real Alice, then we need you now more than ever, and you must see the Hatter."

"Can you take us to him?" Prim asked cautiously. Buttercup nodded. "Is he a cat too?"

This made the animal laugh, if a cat could laugh. His whiskers wavered and he collapsed to the ground before floating through the air once more. "No, he's as human as the both of you are. Now, hurry, if you want to get to the Never-ending Tea Party before the sun sets."

"What happens then?" She asked, blue eyes alight with new curiosity. "After the sun sets, not after we see the Hatter…?"

Katniss got to her feet, angry with the fact that she was stuck walking around a place called _Underland _while in high heels, with a stupid cat who spoke about a Real Alice who wasn't real at all. She felt a headache starting behind her eyes and she knew that the day was going to be long and tedious.

Prim's small fingers grasped hers as she followed behind the slate animal. "My dear," he looked at her earnestly, ears pointed directly at her while his large eyes focused on her blue ones. "You don't want to know."

They walked in something like silence after that. The only noises were the rustling steps of the sisters' feet. Katniss looked around, noting the different trees and plants. She saw flowers leaning together, as if they were speaking. She smiled at the thought. Flowers didn't talk.

She looked ahead, and realized that they were following a speaking, floating, and disappearing cat and she felt her heart fall. The flowers could be conversing at that very second.

"You said this place was called Wonderland?" Prim asked tenderly, awe filling her voice. Apparently with a native she felt much safer than she had with just Katniss. The older one turned her face the other way and hid half an eye roll. "Because this is magical, isn't it Kat? It's just like the place dad used to describe."

Buttercup turned and looked at them, watching with large eyes as they took careful steps. The sun in the orange sky traveled as they did. It was getting close to dusk. Smiling he said: "Old Alice used to call it that, _Wonderland,_ what an odd child. It's _Un_derland. Not wonder." The Cheshire Cat appeared pensive, his crinkled tail swiveled in the air as he licked at his whiskers. "A man used to call it that too. He could sing so beautifully, our Mockingjay's fell silent to listen."

"You have Mockingjays here?" Katniss asked quickly, abandoning her thoughts about speaking flowers.

"Of course, it's our native song bird." He watched her curiously. "Why, Ms. Katniss? Do you know of the Mockingjay?"

She nodded defensively. "My father used to tell me about Mockingjays. That they had the most beautiful voices of anything he had ever heard. He said they could carry whatever tune you gave them if you had a handful of seconds to whistle it for them." She swallowed, unsure why the cat's unblinking gaze was making her skin prickle. "Besides," she broke the eye contact, looking away through the azure painted trees. "The Wiress lady you were talking about, the one who mentioned Real Alice had one on her pocketwatch."

He nodded, "We all do." He pulled a watch from somewhere in his fur, and the girls wondered where he could keep such a thing. His was golden as well, and imprinted on the front was the picture of the Mockingjay. "If you don't know if someone is good or not, ask if they have a golden Mockingjay, it's our symbol."

"Whose symbol?" Katniss questioned, tightening her grip on her sister's hand. The girl gave a returning squeeze, signaling she was okay.

"You will learn about that once we make it to the Tea Party!" the animal practically hissed. He turned around then, leaping a few feet ahead of them, causing the girls to have to sprint to keep up. "The Hatter will explain everything much better than me. He is more eloquent, even though he's slightly insane."

Prim giggled as they ran after the grey animal, and Katniss couldn't help but smile a little at her sister's joy. It had been hard making life easy enough for her that she could smile and laugh easily. So any chance she got to appreciate the moment, Katniss would.

As the day neared an end, and her feet were blazing with pain, the edges of her dress were tattered and torn; she was finally growing accustomed to the odd surroundings. The peculiar trees started to blend into normalcy and the whispering flowers just made her grin a little. Maybe this place was magical, and maybe it truly was Wonderland.

The Cheshire Cat started to slow as they came upon a small clearing. Tables were set up with white cloths, china plates and cups sat grouped together for a large crowd. There were plates of pastries and breads, butter sat on different platters. A menagerie of different tea pots bombarded their eyes. They were in an array of colors, traveling through the known rainbow and experimenting with patterns and contrast.

There were two people sitting at the tables, and as they neared, Katniss felt her heart enter her throat.


	3. Welcome to the Neverending Tea Party

Yay! :D I'm so, so, so very happy/ grateful/ honored by the reviews, alerts, and favorites. I love you guys, seriously. I didn't think this story would have this kind of response this early, so thank you all. For taking the time out of your day to read my writing. I hope I don't disappoint.

Please leave a review, they make my day :3

I don't own the Hunger Games, nor do I own Alice in Wonderland

* * *

_Tick Tock_

The smell of sweets began to permeate in the air as the trio neared. With a purr, and a nudge against Prim's shoulder, Buttercup floated away towards the man at the head of the table. He was opposite the two girls, with shaggy blond hair that fell in mussed tufts around his eyes. There was a top hat that sat on the crown of his head, made out of random patches and mixed patterns. The Cheshire Cat started talking to the man in a low whisper, and the girls turned their attention to the only other person in the small area.

Murmurs fell from his lips as he munched on sugar cubes, adding spoonful after spoonful of the sweet powder to his already lumpy tea.

"The White Queen should be happy with these," a manic laugh crept from his throat, suddenly abandoning the tea and grabbing a white quill. He dipped it in ink and started to scrawl something along the golden skin of his arm. His crimson red hair tickled the tops of his shoulders, and over his forehead. Framing his teal eyes in scarlet, intensifying the already piercing orbs.

"Tick tock," he mumbled, chuckling softly to himself as his brows furrowed. He dropped the quill and glanced at the sugar bowl again, turning it upside down to inspect its emptiness. "Tick tock, Real Alice, you must be careful. Don't lose your head to paint her ugly roses red. We're very late for an important date."

He cackled again and lifted the sugar-lump tea to his lips and took a drink, completely ignorant to the new comers staring at him.

Prim's small hand clutched Katniss' tightly, and the elder sister could feel her shivering. The blonde was determined to keep ahold of her sister, wide blue eyes glued to the peculiar man, who was still muttering and drinking wet sugar.

"What's wrong with him Katniss?" The 14 year old asked softly, tugging a little on the older one's hand.

"Don't you know?" said a deep and low voice beside them. Their heads turned in unison and the other man was standing there, the Cheshire Cat floating beside him. He swept down into a bow, clutching his patchwork hat between slender fingers, before straightening and replacing the object back on his head.

His hair was sticking in wild tufts, lying over his forehead and into his eyes, mixing with long, pale lashes. The flaxen strands framed his luminescent orbs; they were bigger than the sun, and much brighter. His eyes were dappled with gleaming flecks of lightning and blue ice. They swirled almost daringly, a deranged glint flickering underneath the dancing colors.

The peculiar eyes scanned over the girls, looking down at them from his taller frame. A grin captured his face. "I am the Hatter, and I would like to cordially and officially welcome you to the wonderful world of Underland," his teeth flashed ivory from behind his full lips. "You should know, we're all mad here."

Katniss watched him evenly, "You're not, are you?"

His smile almost turned wicked. "I just hide it better than most."

The redhead by the table laughed manically at the blond's words, falling from his chair onto the ground, clutching his stomach as he giggled.

The Hatter turned and motioned to the other man, "Come here please," it took another few seconds of laughter before the redhead could bring himself from the grass. "This," the Hatter wrapped an arm around the golden man's shoulders. "Is the March Hare. Loyal, lovely, and mad, desperately in love with confection sugar."

The Hare took each girl's hand, kissing them with surprisingly soft lips. "Welcome Real Alice, Fake Alice." His mouth twisted in happiness. "Fake Alice, Real Alice, whichever you may be." He started to hop from foot to foot excitedly. Katniss tucked her hand into the folds of her skirts, uncomfortable in their situation. "You were almost late, I almost lost my head. But now-_now_ we are safe. You can defeat the Mutts and restore Un-"

"March Hare," the Hatter turned his iridescent eyes on the crimson haired man. His face fell and with another teal eyed look, he walked back to the table. Mumbling about a gorgeous woman dressed in white crystal, and how everything would be fine now that Real Alice was home.

"Don't mind him," Buttercup said softly. "He's mad as a hatter."

Both the blond and the cat started to chuckle at the joke. The Hatter reached for Prim's hand, taking it in his larger one before reaching for Katniss' who avoided the contact. "Come, Real Alice, Fake Alice. Why not sit and have some tea. It's wonderful, really. We have as many sugar cubes as you can stir in. March Hare has been able to melt 42 into a cup once, but it was basically mush.

"The Tweedles should be here by tomorrow, and then we only wait for the Dormouse to come with us to find Caterpillar. He'll help us decipher who is the Real Alice. From there we will go to the White Quee-

He was walking them to the head of the table as Prim took in the white tables with wide eyes. She interrupted him with a blush on her cheeks. "Are these cakes edible?" she asked in her high voice. "I'm kind of hungry." She said softly.

Hatter nodded furiously, the hat on his head trembling dangerously. "Oh, yes, they are quite edible. I made them myself. They're the finest in all of Underland. Feel free to take one, please tell me what you think."

He allowed them to stop, as the young girl reached for a pastry. She took them all in, admiring the pink frosting and the bright green flowers on sugar cookies. They matched the rainbowed assortment of teapots, from yellows to purples. They reminded Katniss of the bakeries back in Panem. She used to press her face against the glass when she went for walks with her father. He would buy her a strawberry pastry and hold her small hand in his warm one, before telling her a story of brightly colored cakes he had eaten in Wonderland.

Prim had a crystal blue cupcake in her fingers, lifting it to her mouth to take a bite when Katniss couldn't take it anymore. She stepped forward and slapped the cake from her hands.

"Don't eat that Primrose! You don't know what it's made out of." The March Hare and the Cheshire Cat fell silent, their teacups rattling softly against their matching saucers, watching the exchange. The girl swiveled to glare at the Hatter.

"Listen to me, you pompous lunatic, we aren't Alice, neither of us are Alice. Real Alice, Fake Alice, none of it. My name is Katniss Everdeen and this is nothing but a dream, there is no such thing as _Under_land_, _or _Wonder_land for that matter. We're from Panem. I was being proposed to this morning from my friend, I fell into a hole and got hurt. I'm unconscious right now, and none of this is real!"

The Hatter watched her with glittering eyes. "I assure you, my dear, that this is quite real."

"No!" She screeched, pointing at the March Hare. "He's insane, there's a _speaking cat._ And **you, **a man named Hatter who bakes pastries. You're all mad, this place is ridiculous." She ignored the indignant look Buttercup threw her direction.

She wasn't sure what she expected from her outburst. But it definitely wasn't laughter.

They were all doubled over, cackling at her speech. "My dear, dear girl." The Hatter laughed, white teeth flitting into view again. Prim's blue eyes swiveled through everyone, unnerved at the manic smiles and giggles. "My name isn't _Hatter,_ just like his isn't really the _March Hare._" He choked the words out, laughter still stuck in his throat. "They're merely titles; does he look like a rabbit to you?"

That started the redhead chuckling again, falling from his chair once more. The tea on the table shuddered at the sudden movement, tinkling glass echoed around the clearing.

Primrose shook her head as Katniss watched dumbfounded.

"Precisely, they're titles. Just like Real Alice is a title for one of you." He flourished another bow, the tails of his coat flapping slightly with the movement. "My name, dear girl, is Peeta Mellark, and that lunatic laughing on the ground is Finnick Odair, otherwise known as the March Hare."

Katniss felt tears tugging at the back of her eyes, a lump forming in her throat. She felt lost, and confused, and incredibly irritated. She would take Gale's proposal over this almost any day; it was infinitely easier to deal with. Her frustration was hitting an all-time high as she stared at the curious man in front of her, trying to grasp the psychosis exiting his lips.

"Does that clear everything up?" Peeta asked, grinning.

The dark haired girl glared at him. "Come on, Prim we have to go." Kat reached for her sister's hand, but Prim looked at her defiantly.

"We don't know where we are, Katniss. They do."

She felt betrayal well in her chest and she let her hand fall back into her dirtied skirts. "Fine then, have fun at the physco's Never-ending Tea Party." She turned then and ran off into the now dim forest of blues and purples.

* * *

She felt her heart thudding painfully and heard steps coming after her. But they weren't the faint, soft steps of her sister. They were heavier, but graceful, not cracking a twig, unlike her high heeled feet which seemed to break every branch underfoot.

"Wait, dear girl you cannot run through the Red King's forest at night," it was Peeta's deep voice. "It's dangerous."

"What do I care?" Katniss hissed back, "This is just a crazy dream!"

She tripped over a tightly bound group of flowers, who hissed at her and called her names. "Ms. Everdeen, you must understand," Peeta came to her and hushed the flowers as he kneeled and rested a hand on her shoulder. "This world is quite real."

The girl was about to open her mouth to oppose him, but he suddenly pushed her against the ground, pinning her there with his larger body, while hissing at her to stay silent. She obeyed, iron eyes the size of saucers.

She could hear snuffling and rustling in the grass nearby. Peeta's incandescent eyes searched through the weeds around them. "Peeta-"

"Please be quiet," he whispered, breathe fanning over her face. She could smell the sweetness of his breath, mixed with some sort of mint that must have been in the tea he was drinking before they arrived.

The rustling stopped and Katniss held her breath, heart pounding against her ribs. She swallowed around the lump still in her throat. She was afraid, and it upset her. She hated being afraid. Peeta pulled a knife from the internal pocket of his jacket, and Katniss couldn't help but gasp. He glared at her and with another heartbeat a raging ball of fur entered into Katniss' vision and attacked the blond.

She heard him grunt with the blunt force of the animal's attack as he was forced off of her. She couldn't see very well in the dim light, but she saw fur prickling on edge, the tails of the Hatter's coat flailing as he wrestled with whatever was attacking him.

Snarls and rustles emitted from the attacker and defender. And after what seemed like forever, he stepped back over to her, dragging the hide of an animal. It was bloody and tattered, with wiry black hair.

"Wh-what is it?" Katniss asked softly, grey eyes widening as she noticed the gash on his thigh. He limped closer before collapsing beside her.

Pain twisted through his face, and his eyes closed tightly, wrinkling pale skin as his brows furrowed deep into his forehead. "It was one of the Red King's Mutts. They patrol his forest at night, but this one," he nodded towards the dead animal. "It was just a baby." He grunted again as he ripped the fabric from the gash. "Shit," he mumbled, trying to use the dirtied fabric to staunch the flow of red.

"Here," Katniss grabbed his knife and cut some of her skirts, taking from underneath so they were cleaner. "You have to press it against your skin like this," she took the bundle of fabrics and twisted it a little, pain flitted through him again, and she murmured an apology. "Otherwise you'll bleed to death."

The man was quiet for a moment, watching her with brilliant, swirling azure eyes. "Thank you," he sighed, leaning against the trunk of a tree that was closest to them.

"The Mutts," the dark haired woman started, voice shaking slightly as she applied pressure to his leg. "Are they natural here, or…?"

The blond shook his head. "Not even close. The Mockingjay was originally one of the Red King's experiments, but it went wrong. They sang instead of screamed the way he wanted them to. He left them to die but they lived." His eyes rested in the distance, brow still knitted together. "The Red King kidnapped the Larkspur. He was on our side for as long as I can remember, but they stole him when he was testing out a golden coil to electrocute an entire lake."

"Why is he working for the Red King if he was kidnapped, most people refuse in that situation."

"You misunderstand, Ms. Everdeen. The Red King is not one to play games with. He rules the situation or you're immediately dead. Larkspur wanted to come back to the White Rabbit, and thusly, has been forced to create mutated monsters, the Mutts."

Katniss let out a breath, feeling her heart pound all over again. Everything felt so real.

"Do you believe this place is genuine yet?"

She grinned at that, he seemed to be the determined type. "No… yes?" she shook her head, waist long brown hair rustling in the grass. "I still don't know."

Quickly and without her consent, Peeta leaned up to her and let his lips graze hers. His fingers feathered along her jaw line, and Katniss jumped, hand releasing the fabrics that were resting against his thigh. He cringed and pulled away.

"I-I'm sorry," she tried to replace the make-shift bandage. "Wh-why did you do that?"

He chuckled, patchwork hat tilting dangerously again. "Once upon a time I came to this world, and I couldn't decipher what was real or what wasn't… I almost went mad, but a girl who came here with me, her name was Rue. They thought she was Real Alice… but she wasn't. She kissed me when I didn't know what was real, and the feeling told me all I needed to know."

The blood flow was starting to lessen, and Katniss cut out another layer of fabric from under her dress. She bandaged his leg, glancing at him during the process. "What did it tell you?"

He grinned at her, noting the way her olive skin looked in the dim, crepuscular light. "I realized that if I felt something, then wherever I was, it was real. It's not about where you come from or where you go, it's the fact that you're alive and experiencing it."

Katniss contemplated his words as she helped him onto his feet, and they turned back for the Tea Party. He wasn't as heavy as she thought a 6 foot male would be. "That was my first kiss." She whispered, straining her ears to listen to the flowers.

"All the more reason to take it to heart."

Katniss watched him out of the corner of her eye, unsure why she felt her heart flutter. "Did you love her?" she asked softly.

"Rue?" the girl nodded. His jaw worked when he stepped wrong on his leg, causing pain to shoot up through his muscles and into his chest. "Maybe. It doesn't matter now though, she's dead. The Red Queen beheaded Rue before she went missing. To paint her roses red."


	4. Tweedle Dee Tweedle Dum

Thank you all once again for the reviews/ alerts/ story favorites. I'm having so much fun writing this story, but I'm even more excited that you all like it. I'm honored that you're all taking the time to read it, so thank you so very much. Please leave me a review after you're finished, to tell me if there's anything you liked/ want to see/ I can improve on. Thank you again.

I don't own the Hunger Games or Alice in Wonderland.

* * *

_Tick Tock._

_.  
_

_.  
_

Prim had Buttercup cuddled on her lap. She was rubbing the grey fur growing behind his ears before she tickled under his chin. He was purring, large glowing eyes closed, as his whiskers stuck out in happiness.

The girl looked up at the sky, and noted that it turned blood red during the night. A moon hung low on the horizon, bright silver against the crimson. Sighing, she glanced over at the redhaired man. Finnick was watching her with wide teal eyes, he had been since Peeta ran off after her sister. Her stubborn sister.

"Do you think they'll be okay?" She asked softly, using her free hand to grab one of the Hatter's pastries and stuffing it into her mouth. He had been right, they were delectable. The dough melted on her tongue, and the icing complemented the taste in a sweet way, but not overbearing.

Finnick nodded quickly, bright hair swaying on his shoulder. His fingers dug into his breast pocket and pulled out a piece of rope, knotting it and unknotting it swiftly. "Yes, yes I imagine they will be. Peeta's not one to be reckoned with, not after what happened." The Hare's eyes widened as he stared off into the distance, lost in some sort of long past thought, as his fingers kept working on the string.

Prim sat quietly, the magic cat now asleep in her lap.

"I _told_ you that we were going to get lost!" a shrill voice trilled from the opposite tree line.

"No, you damn woman, I told _you_ that if you didn't have to do your hair, we would have gotten here much quicker. But **no** you had to do it up like some sort of freak show."

A couple appeared out of the blue haze of the trees. Prim stood, still cradling Buttercup in her arms. The March Hare looked up, a grin spread wide across his cheeks. "So they finally made it, eh?"

"You didn't have a problem with my 'freak show' hair when we got married!" The woman speaking had bright pink tresses in high piles of curls on the top of her head. Her lips were painted with the same fuchsia color, and her golden heels were probably 6 inches high. "Besides, _dear_, I had time to spare while you slept off your drunken stupor!"

The man waved her off, ignoring the statement, his grey eyes coming to rest on the girl standing beside Peeta's normal chair.

"H-hello," Primrose said softly, taking a few steps closer as the two new comers walked to the tables. The woman's eyes scanned the thin girl, noting the way the Cheshire Cat slept docilely in her arms. "My name is Primrose Everdeen, who are you?" she stuck out a hand, cradling the sleeping animal deftly in one arm.

"This is Tweedle Dee," Frinnick jumped up and motioned to the man, "otherwise known as Haymitch. And pinkie here," his golden fingers traced a circlet in her hair. "Is Effie, or as I like to call her, Tweedle Dum."

The pink woman glared at the Hare warily. "Ha. Ha. Very funny Finnick." She turned back to Prim and shook her small hand with thin fingers. "My name is Effie."

The young Everdeen nodded, hesitating before dropping her hand to her side. She took in Effie's clothes and golden shoes, and wondered why the woman was dressed like that in the middle of the woods. A pang of jealousy hit her, she felt disgusting and normal.

Effie took a seat at the table, gathering a few cakes onto a plate before pouring herself a cup of tea with careful hands.

Prim opened her mouth to formally greet Tweedle Dee, or Haymitch as Finnick referred to him. But the man was already turning away from her. "Yea, I'm Haymitch, you're a normal girl, big deal." He sat beside his wife, grabbing a cookie from her fingers and popping it in his mouth before speaking around the crumbs. "Where's Peeta? He's normally here grinning like an idiot at us. He's the one who introduced us, mind you."

The young blonde girl's jaw hung open as Effie gave Haymitch an irritated scowl. "Why are you here, Ms. Primrose? I can't imagine why any normal person would come down a rabbit hole on a whim."

"O-oh, there was a woman, Wiress I believe they called her. She mentioned Real Alice and my sister and I followed her through the gardens. We ended up falling down the hole and… into here."

The pastel pink woman nodded, as if a trip to another world, maybe dimension, was a completely normal habit. "Ah, the White Rabbit. I remember when I fell down the-"

"No one wants to hear this story for the millionth time," Tweedle Dee grouched, running a hand through his sand colored hair. "Give the poor girl a break, she's probably freaked out beyond belief, she doesn't need to know you were escorting the winning soccer team on their victory tour when you had a fling with one and ended up tripping over an exposed root and falling down here." The woman glared at him once more. "Not that it's not an interesting story or anything like that," he muttered, turning back to the plate of sweets in front of him.

Prim noticed the way the March Hare was smiling, taking a short break from knot tying to stir his lumpy tea. "Don't try to save yourself now," Peeta's voice came from the trees, "I heard that whole thing, Haymitch, you can't cover with that line."

Relief flooded over everyone's faces at the pair's appearance, but it quickly turned to shock and concern when they saw him leaning heavily on Katniss for support.

"What happened?" Effie quavered, taking long steps on her golden shoes, coming up to the injured male in a heartbeat. "Here, set him down on the table." She pushed pastries and platters off of the clean white fabric. Some crashed to the ground and splattered as others made it to the relatively safe edge of the table.

"A Mutt attacked, that's all." He said, wincing as the March Hare and Tweedle Dee picked him up. "It was just a cub."

The other males winced as Effie set to work mending his leg. She grabbed a pink and blue stripped tea pot, and opened it. Reaching in she took out a handful of leaves.

"What are those for?" Katniss asked quickly, taking up the space beside the pink woman, dove eyes inspecting the viridian greenery. She felt her heart jump when the Hatter reached for her hand, and without thinking, she let him take it.

His grip tightened as Tweedle Dum gently placed the leaves against his still seeping skin. "This is going to hurt for a while," she mumbled, tenderly taking the pieces of fabric and soaking them in a different tea pot. "And you may get blood poisoning but the leaves are supposed to help fight it."

The blond male nodded, pain dancing through his features as she pressed the fabric tightly and bound it. Katniss let out a sigh of relief when the agony swept out of Peeta's features.

"Can I do anything?" Prim asked, taking a few steps forward, Buttercup still in her hands, "I want to be a doctor when I'm older, and I've taken a few classes..."

Effie smiled but shook her head. "A curse of this place is that medical treatment will never be good. We don't have the instruments your world has created. We traded health for magic years and years ago. This," She motioned to the leaves and the assortment of different tea pots. "Is all we have, so we have to make due."

Prim nodded as Katniss helped the Hatter down from the table, settling him on the chair at the head of the tea party once more.

"What now?" Haymitch questioned, also taking a seat. He kneaded his large hands together on the surface. "You're injured, the Dormouse hasn't arrived yet, and we don't even know if Absolem is still at his house."

Peeta nodded, still keeping ahold of Kat's hand. "I know, so we'll wait."

"Bu-" The Hatter sent a glare towards Haymitch, silencing him for the moment.

"They don't even know what's going on yet, we have to explain everything or else they'll be left in the dark forever and won't know what we're fighting for until it's too late and everyone is dead."

This seemed to stun the rest of the group into submission, and Peeta turned to look at Katniss. His eyes were still swirling beautifully, ice and lightning dancing together behind his pale lashes. The March Hare twitched as he scrawled another note on his forearm with the quill, then quickly picked up the piece of rope again. Tweedle Dee took Tweedle Dum's hand and petted it with the rough pad of his thumb, while Buttercup stretched in Prim's arm. The young blonde was sitting beside her sister, thing legs folded underneath her as she turned her attention to the Hatter, who took a deep breath and watched them both intensely.

.

* * *

.

"It started more than a century ago. Legend has it that the Red King and the White Queen stopped generations of fighting, and for a year, it was all love and kisses. They say that war can eventually bring the strongest love, and for that year people believed it.

"But then… then everything fell apart. They had a child together, but one way or another, the baby was killed. That's when the war started again, and when the Red King instilled the Hunger Games. He blamed the White Queen's court for their child's death, and he was determined to make sure the children of his daughter's killers paid for it."

Peeta motioned for a tea cup, and Katniss jumped to her feet, quickly grabbing it and pouring tea into it according to his directions. He took no sugar.

Prim looked around and noticed that Effie had her face pressed against Haymitch's chest, and she also noted that he didn't push her away. His large hands traced circles on her lower back and he mumbled soft words into her ear.

"He wanted it to be a reminder to everyone. So after the first Games, he just started to kidnap people. The first kidnapping started in his woods," the Everdeen sisters glanced at the calming blue of the forest and shivered.

"Eventually the King died of an infection. There were rumors that the White Queen somehow poisoned him, but after another month she died too. The next set of royalty was chosen from the remaining families. The Red King became Coriolanus Snow. The White Queen was chosen as Denise Cresta. They fought for another generation. The Red King's wife was killed, her body was never found. The White Queen was killed shortly thereafter, the King claiming it was revenge. Her only daughter took the throne, Annie."

Finnick looked up from tying and untying knots, brows twisting on his forehead, aquamarine eyes penetrating. "Annie, Annie in danger," he mumbled, eyes closing tightly, dropping the string and wrapping his long fingers around his tea cup. "Annie, Annie, Annie." His mouth contorted and he picked up the cup and hurled it across the clearing. Wet sugar flung through the air and the porcelain shattered it against a nearby tree. "That damn man, and the damn war!" He grabbed for a tea pot this time, but Prim jumped out of her seat, upsetting the Cheshire Cat from her lap.

"Finnick!" Prim ran over to him before anyone else could act. She wrapped his larger hands in her tiny ones, looking him directly in the eye as she removed the ceramic pot and set it down. "It's okay." She had tears running from blue orbs, fingers tightening against his gold skin.

"I swear," she sniffled, holding onto his gaze. "Whether I'm Real Alice or not… I'll do whatever I can to stop this," She turned and glanced at all of them individually. "To protect Annie and help all of you."

Katniss was about to open her mouth, but a squeeze from Peeta's hand silenced her.

The March Hare's panicked mania subsided and he pulled the small girl tight against his chest, crushing her into the sinewy muscles. "Thank you," he muttered as she blushed crimson, matching his hair.

Within seconds Katniss noticed the difference in the air. Tweedle Dum started to laugh, a high and sweet tinkling noise, extracting herself from her husband's arms and made her way to the small girl. Buttercup followed lead, lacing his way through their legs, purring loudly. Even Haymitch stood, happily embracing the thin girl in his arms.

Katniss looked at the Hatter and noticed the smile resting on his full lips. "They just need something to believe in," he spoke softly, watching the exchange as Effie pulled Prim into a dance, Finnick pulled out a wooden flute and started to play. Haymitch picked up the cat, and twirled around.

"Even if neither of you are Real Alice," his thumb wiped across her knuckles. "You might be able to hold us over until she really comes."

"That's-"

"Selfish, I know." He sighed, tugging on her to come closer. "But we've been trying to survive here for so long, we can't give up now."

Kat nodded, and before she could help herself, she pressed her mouth to his cheek. "Something to believe in."

Peeta lifted his other hand, grabbing ahold of her chin and moving her face so that he could properly kiss her. But a throat cleared beside them before he had the chance, and a woman was standing there.

She was short, but stiff. Standing as tall as her small frame would let her, her silvery hair falling in an unforgiving sheet to her shoulders. Her eyes were the color of snow slush, staring angrily at the dark haired female and the blond male.

"Hatter, I thought we were fighting a war, not making love."

Katiss flushed and struggled to pull away from him as quickly as possible. But he refused to let go of her hand. "Ah, Dormouse, we never thought you'd arrive."

The sun was starting to rise in the bright sky. The red leeching away back to its semi normal orange color. There were a few clouds scattered around, odd white tufts in the atmosphere.

The woman flashed him an irritated smile. "Don't sass me, Hatter. I don't play your mad little games." Her stone eyes turned on the others, irritated with the fact that they were dancing. "Oi, March Hare, Tweedle Dee, Tweedle Dum, and you stupid Cheshire Cat, I don't think you have a reason to dance. This war is far from over. I don't know about you, but I know I don't dance when children are sent to the slaughter."

The happiness leaked out of them and the tune stopped, Finnick replacing the flute in his pocket. He sat in his seat again, eyes glazing dangerously over the glass cups, fingers working furiously on the rope once more.

"That's better." The woman said. "Now, may we finally talk strategy, or are you pretentious idiots going to lollygag around all day?"

The other people sat on their seats, Prim walking once again to rest by her older sister. Buttercup ambled behind her, meowing softly for her to pick him up. She did and cuddled his warm body close.

"Always a pleasure, Alma Coin," Peeta started, but immediately there were noises coming from the woods. Heavy footsteps and chanting voices. They could hear the clinking of armor and the slicing sounds of swords being drawn. Branches broke and leaves rustled ominously in the dim aqua of the forest.

Finnick looked up, frightened with his skin going taunt over his muscle. Effie and Haymitch jumped and scrambled from their chairs, grabbing onto each other before starting to run in the opposite direction.

Coin shot to her feet, "There you go, Hatter. That's what you get for keeping your Tea Party in the middle of the Red King's woods." She started to run, but within heartbeats men were stomping into the area.

Prim let out a scream and Katniss reached for her as the men flooded in. They tossed the made-up tables, the glass crunching and shattering as it landed on the ground. The pretty pastries painted and splattered their brilliant colors across the grass.

Peeta pulled on her arm, tugging her away from the scene as he struggled to stand. He stumbled and hissed when he put pressure on his injured leg, but he refused to slow down. His fingers dug into Katniss' shoulder and it stung her skin, drawing blood as he propelled her forward.

Kat heard Prim shriek, and turned, waist long hair swirling as she saw Finnick being thrown against the ground, his pretty face slammed into the pieces of broken china. It cut him and blood welled over his golden skin. Coin was being beaten to the ground as well. Kat's eyes swiveled around, noting that Prim was skittering away from the hulking men in blood red armor.

The blonde Everdeen was clutching Buttercup to her chest as she dove beneath a low bush. It caused a diversion as the men ran into each other, trying to get beneath the foliage to grab the girl. But Primrose was too fast and she was on her feet without hesitation, barreling through the low hanging blue branches and away from the disastrous Tea Party.

Katniss lost sight of everything when Peeta finally gave her a shove through tightly bound trees. He was following her, huffing and panting. She turned and wrapped her arm under his, helping to hold his weight as the adrenaline started to course faster.

"We have to get out of here," he hissed, the girl nodded. She cursed her shoes once more and hoped Effie was having an easier time in her golden heels.


	5. The Golden Vapor

Thank you to everyone once again! I never thought this story would go anywhere, so thank you all. I appreciate every review/ alert/ favorite. It makes me smile, and makes my day a little brighter. Thank you for reading, and please leave a review. Telling me what I missed, what I can improve on, or what you want to see. Thanks again.

I don't own the Hunger Games or Alice in Wonderland.

* * *

.

_Tick Tock_

_.  
_

Prim felt her arms shaking as she rushed past the branches. She could still hear footsteps thudding behind her, and the clanking of armor was too close for comfort. Her breath was stinging her lungs, and her legs felt like they were engulfed in flames. Buttercup looked up at her from her arms.

"Listen to me," he said softly, whiskers tickling her skin as he spoke. "I can smell Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum a few yards off," he was staring at her with his large green eyes. "We're not going to make it, the Red Knights have been trained for combat, and don't fatigue easily."

"I-I don't… want to put them in danger." Primrose huffed, stumbling but catching herself before she could tumble to the ground. "I don't want to hurt them."

The Cheshire Cat nodded in understanding. "I know," he said softly but hurriedly. "But if they catch you, we could lose everything. You're Real Alice, we need you."

The blonde bit at her lip, and went to open her mouth when the animal in her arms heard a squelching sound and agony flickered across her face. Her next step faltered, a scream tearing from the depths of her throat, and within seconds, they were crashing against the ground. Dirt streaked across her palms as she struggled to move.

Buttercup could hear Haymitch in the distance, his bumbling but swift steps, coming to help the young woman they knew to be a savior.

The Knights rattled up, feet clanking, gloved hands drawing swords that seemed to be dipped in blood. The shafts were glittering red metal that matched the chest plates and chainmail that hung around their necks.

"Awe," a man tsked his tongue, stepping closer and he threw his helmet from his head. "What do we have here, a small girl and her pet kitty?" He grinned wickedly, bloodlust plain behind his blue eyes. His sandy blond hair was cut into tufts, and he grabbed the front of Prim's dress and hauled her up to eye level.

"Pretty little girl has a knife stuck in her calf, huh?" he feigned sympathy. "How'd that get there? I had it in my hand, and then it was gone."

The Everdeen whimpered, blood trickling down into her shoes, she tried to take ahold of his arm, to keep from being chocked by her dress. Then while he was laughing with the other Red Knights, she felt anger well in her stomach, and she choked up saliva and spit it into his face.

Everyone paused, not a breath left any of the knights as the male turned to look at her, anger rolled off of him into the surrounding area.

"You little _bitch. _They said this little runt was supposed to be Real Alice," he threw her against the ground before wiping the residue of her saliva from his face.

"Teach her a lesson Cato, tell her she can't mess with the Red Knights."

The blue eyed man smiled, "Gladly." he drew his sword. "Poor little girl, too bad she won't have a throat left to gather her troops-"

Tweedle Dee burst from the hedges and plowed into the male, crashing with Cato into the ground. "Get up," he hissed at Primrose, who struggled to her feet, leg protesting with every move.

She tried to run, as Haymitch grabbed Cato's dropped sword and started attacking the Knights. The element of surprise only lasted long enough for him to mortally wound one of them. The other two began to close in as the blond regained his feet.

"Tweedle Dee, what a pleasure to see you again," Cato hissed, kicking a bristly Buttercup as he took swift steps to Prim. The cat yelped as he flew through the air. The young Everdeen reached for him, but the blond's fingers closed around her slender wrist, jerking her closer. "What a stupid man, to risk his life for a worthless little girl like this. You really think she could be Alice, _Real_ Alice?" He laughed, eyes rolling a little in his head. "Real Alice will never come to Underland."

A shot rang around the clearing, one of the Knights falling to the ground dead.

Prim squirmed in Cato's grasp, eyes picking up hints of pink hair as Haymitch ran over and bit Cato's arm. The male screamed, fingers releasing the young girl's dress.

Tweedle Dee scooped her up and threw her over his shoulder, he turned hurriedly reaching a hand out to Effie who was brandishing a silver metal gun, pointed at the other Red Knight.

"Come on, Ef." She shook her head, tears pulling at her eyes.

"You won't make it with me slowing you down, you have to get Ms. Primrose out of here."

"Eff-"

"No Haymitch," she took a shot at the Knight. It embedded into his armor and he grunted but kept taking steps closer. There were clatters that signaled that more Knights were encircling them. "Go!" she screamed at him.

With a curse and a final look he did, turning and running as quickly as he could while his wife held off thirty some guards with a handful of bullets left.

.

_**x. o. x. o.**_

_**.  
**_

"Damn it," Peeta stumbled again. Blood was seeping out of the dressing over his leg. They heard a gunshot. Katniss looked around alarmed but the male shook his head, swirling eyes holding too many emotions for the female to sort through.

"Effie must be fighting. She's the only on in all of Underland who has a gun. She had it with her when she fell down the hole."

Katniss' jaw dropped, and she gritted her teeth, heart thudding uncomfortably against her ribs. "Where do we go now?" She heaved him higher into her arms, trying to get a better grip around his waist. "I don't know where Prim is, Finnick was captured, Haymitch and Effie could be dead for all we know," she felt tears pull at her eyes. "Why are they doing this, we didn't do anything."

Peeta shook his head, "Here, stop for a moment." She obeyed him, helping him sit down on the grass. "I need more fabric," his face tilted up to meet hers as she nodded quickly, reaching to the already tattered and missing skirts of her dress and pulled another yard for him.

He methodically placed it around his leg, tying it tightly with deft fingers. Somehow, even with their narrow escape and the low hanging branches, his patchwork hat was still sitting on his head. "We go to Absolem now. That's where they will all go, because that's what the next step is."

Katniss opened her mouth to disagree, going to state that they had to go back. Check for Primrose and the Tweedles. To figure out where they took the March Hare. But he suddenly jerked her hand, ungracefully forcing her to sit beside him.

"Breath." He commanded, watching her with his churning eyes. She bit her lower lip before obeying and taking a breath. "There is nothing we can do except move on." The Hatter spoke evenly. "I've lost too many friends to stupid decisions to retrace our steps, on idiotic rescue missions before we go see the Queen. We will see Absolem. We will figure out whether you or Prim is Real Alice. Then we will go to the White Queen. She will mourn Finnick for his almost positive death."

His brows were knitted low on his forehead, daring her to contradict him. "Then we will create an army to back Real Alice, who will storm the Red Castle and destroy that damned Snow for good. It will be the end of the Hunger Games, the end of war, and Underland will have a chance to regain all its lost innocence once more."

Katniss felt a tear run over her skin, but she nodded anyway.

Peeta was the foundation she needed when things became rough.

They sat in silence for a few moments before he reached up with tender hands and gathered the waist-long pieces of hair. "What are you doing?" the girl whispered.

"It will be easier to deal with if it's bound together," and he began to braid it.

His fingers were warm against hers as they made their way slowly through the forest. He was limping but leading her, winding between trees, making random turns that just made it seem like they were going in circles. Katniss felt herself get dizzy as she watched him make deliberate turns and weave around groups of trees they could simply go through. Her feet were aching again, stomach growling, and a headache started to pound in her temple. She couldn't fathom how he was feeling. He muttered to himself as they walked, whispering about flowers and they're incessant gossip.

Finally, after what took most of the day, they were standing in front of an uninteresting blue tree. It was normal, and average. Not too tall, and not too short. Its branches reached modestly up into the sky, the epitome of ordinary.

The Hatter got on one knee, tapped the trunk in quick succession. At the base of the trunk, in the center, and then off again to the right.

And without hesitation, a door popped out of the wood.

It was dark inside as Peeta pushed her through, checking behind them before entering himself and closing the wood behind them. It took a moment for her eyes to adjust to the dimness. But when they did, she gasped. They were on a gigantic spiral staircase that turned deep into the ground. Torches haphazardly lit the walls with flickering yellow light.

"Where are we?" she asked breathlessly as he took her hand in his once more, and headed for the steps.

"Absolem's house."

.

_**x. o. x. o.**_

_**.  
**_

He glanced up at them with bored eyes, a hookah sitting beside his chair. There was golden smoke hanging in the air. "What do you want Hatter, you know I dislike our visits."

Peeta sunk into a bow, knees scrapping the floor, hand holding his precious hat. Katniss didn't know how he hid the pain from his face, or managed such an extravagant entrance with his injury.

"I missed you too Absolem." The man grinned at that, taking another breath of the golden liquid before coming closer and hugging the blond male.

Katniss watched them, confused at their exchange. Absolem turned his blue eyes on her, taking a few steps closer, reaching a hand out and lifting one of her arms into the air. "She's not much is she?"

The girl's jaw dropped and she slapped his hands away. "_Excuse_ me." She glared at him, folding her arms across her chest. "_She_'s standing here in the room with you, don't act like I can't hear you."

"Ms. Everdeen," Peeta started, taking a defensive stance beside her. "Absolem is-"

"My name is Boggs," the man said, sticking out his hand for a proper greeting. "You don't sit idle do you?" He grinned at her before scratching at his short grey hair and wiping his eyes. Stretching and turning at the same time he mumbled a bit before sitting down on his red couch and picking the mouthpiece of the hookah back up. "I'm supposed to be figuring whether you or your sister is Real Alice, correct?" he asked taking a puff from the metal.

As if staged, Prim and Haymitch stumbled down the stairs. The Cheshire Cat was on their heels, watching the thin girl with concerned eyes. Tweedle Dee dropped her gently onto the extra couch in the wooden room.

"Sorry," he winced a little when a whimper escaped the blonde's lips. He turned to Katniss before she could speak. "Attacked, lost Effie. She was captured along with Coin and Finnick."

The Hatter nodded, ultramarine eyes falling to the carpeted floor as his fingers clenched into a fist. "Damn the Red Knights."

Bogg's blue orbs ran over the petite girl, noting the way she was clutching her calf with pieces of her dress, trying to staunch the blood. The room was quiet, nothing but heavy breaths and shuffling as they all made themselves comfortable in the room. Haymitch draped himself over the couch beside the young girl. Peeta leaned against the wall as Katniss folded her legs and sat indian style on the floor.

"Do we have Real Alice with us?" Peeta asked hopefully.

Absolem nodded, inhaling again on the hookah. "She is here." Golden wisps exited his lips when he spoke. A smile broke across Tweedle Dee's face, but Boggs continued, voice becoming shadowed and deep. "She will play the Game like no one has ever seen, unearth secrets kept for a generation, and unite those who have been lost. Her heart will be stolen by the most unstable of us all, but not before she loses her very best friend."

Prim's eyes locked with Katniss' dove ones, but the elder girl gave a small smile, trying to evoke encouragement in the younger girl. Her heart thudded a little quicker and wondered if she would be the one to lose her life.

"Real Alice step forth." Absolem said, his voice still shrouded and masked. Everyone stayed still for another second before Prim stood and came forward, limping on her injured leg. Buttercup jumped and floated along behind her.

"Do you promise to do all you can to end the war?" she nodded, blue eyes hardening. "And do you promise to do everything in your power to stop the Hunger Games?" she let a small _yes_ exit her throat.

"And do you swear you'll give everything you have to the cause. From your very best friend to the last breath you will ever breathe?"

She nodded again, "Yes."

"Then Real Alice," he dug into his pocket, producing a golden pocket watch, a Mockingjay was on its front, with wings outspread. In the flickering light it looked to be on fire. "Welcome to Underland."

.

_**x. o. x. o.**_

_**.  
**_

Absolem walked them to the wooden door the next morning, bidding them farewell as golden vapor leaked from his lungs. "Real Alice," he called after they took a few steps. Prim and Katniss turned to look at him.

"Just remember who the enemy is."

Primrose nodded, pivoting away again. They heard the door shut as the blonde walked over to her sister, wrapping their hands together. She leaned against Katniss' shoulder. They walked in silence, Haymitch helped to support the Hatter as they trudged on.

"I was scared," Prim whispered delicately. Her palms were moist and Katniss got the idea that her baby sister was still scared. "I thought I was going to lose you."

The older Everdeen nodded, murmuring her own soft words quickly after noticing the way Haymitch's shoulders drooped. He missed Effie, even if he would never say it aloud. He pulled a corked bottle from the inside of his jacket and took a long pull.

Few words were spoken as they traveled, the forest started to thin out as they made it to the end. Nothing but grassy fields could be seen for miles in any direction. "The White Queen's castle is past all this?" Katniss muttered, shaking her head slowly.

The boys were about to nod, but a familiar cackle sounded across the open area. They all turned and the woman was there. Her eyes were still the size of saucers, hair still limp and hanging from her skull. "Tick tock, Real Alice. _Tick tock. _Time is running out."

"I'm Real Alice," Prim yelled, taking a step away from Katniss, refusing to limp on her hurt leg. "We won't run out of time." Wiress laughed manically.

"Oh, Fake Alice doesn't know who she is does she? Tick tock." She pulled a tea cup from nowhere and smashed it on the ground. The sound of broken glass made the group's hair stand on end. "Real Alice is blind, and ignorant. You're all ignorant lunatics. Don't trust the Dormouse, she never even got a golden Mockingjay."

"Wh-"

The owl eyed woman disappeared then, escaping with ringing cackles back into the blue forrest.

Katniss met Peeta's worried gaze, and she grabbed Prim's hand once more. "Let's go."


	6. The Mockingjay

Woot! Okay chapter 6 right meow. I'd like to thank all of you once again. The alerts and favorites make me smile, the reviews make my day. I'd like to thank all of you from the bottom of my heart for your time, so thank you for reading. Please take the few seconds and review, I'd love to know what you think. :)

I don't own the Hunger Games, I don't own Alice in Wonderland either.

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_Tick Tock_

_.  
_

The girls felt their breath stick in their throats as they finally came upon the White Castle.

It looked like snow and powdered sugar, molded with ice and cloud particles. There were turrets that reached into the orange sky, windows large and welcoming let sun shine onto the white marble floors. The whole thing sparkled and glimmered in the light, like a blinding beacon for anyone with doubt.

There was a girl with short blonde hair, standing with her arms across her chest. Her flaxen brows were knitted low on her face, making her chocolate eyes appear larger. "Well, Hatter. It's about time you got here. What throw another Tea Party before it got crashed too?" she hissed, voice loud and obnoxious.

The male rolled his eyes up to the heavens. "Why do you all blame me when things go wrong?" he glanced at her. "Well, Gryphon, we had to see Absolem to figure out who Real Alice was. Thank you very much. Not like you were doing anything besides standing here and acting pissy."

The woman's lips curled into a sneer. "Well, when Effie showed up bloodied with news that the Dormouse and the March Hare were captured by the Red King I expected you to be a bit faster."

"Effie's here?" Haymitch dropped the Hatter's arm and took a few steps closer to Gryphon. "Where is she, is she okay. Wh-"

The woman held a finger to her lips, her face not softening at all. "Effie is fine. Startled, scratched, and worried about you, I haven't heard the end of it for the last 24 hours." Tweedle Dee glared at her. "But, what I was _going_ to say is that Annie is freaking out because she doesn't know where Finnick is, or if he's even still alive."

"Well take us to her, idiot." Peeta said, face darkening. "We'll tell her what happened."

Gryphon sent him a look. But nodded anyway, biting the inside of her cheek. Her brown eyes sliced into Katniss and Prim as they walked by. After everyone was in the castle, she hustled and led them to the main room.

It was as pale as the rest of the castle, glittering white, like freshly fallen snow. High ceilinged with thin wire hanging chandeliers. There was a large carpet that ran down the center, leading to a wing-backed chair with a petite female sitting in it.

Her legs were curled to her chest, skinny arms wrapped around them. Her brown hair was splayed around her shoulders; a silver tiara matched her grey dress. It pooled to the floor in a puddle of glimmering fabrics.

"White Queen," Gryphon said tentatively, taking a few steps closer on careful feet.

The woman looked up, tears streaking her pale cheeks, lips the red of a rose. Her sea green eyes were large and begging. Pleading for some word of good news. "Johanna, what is it?"

The brown eyed woman motioned for the group to come closer. "We have the Mad Hatter's group here. Tweedle Dee, the Cheshire Cat, Real Alice, Fake Alice, and the Hatter himself. They came to explain what happened at the Never-ending Tea Party." Johanna said the words softly, watching the green eyed woman tenderly. "Annie, if you don't feel up to it…"

"No," the Queen said, straightening her legs and wiping her face of residual tears. "I need to know what happened, it's my duty." She swallowed and another tear leaked down her face. "Besides, they might have word of my dear Finnick."

The Hatter stepped closer, bending down on one knee and holding his patchwork hat to his chest. "My White Queen, we have no information about the March Hare." She nodded evenly, but her mouth twisted and her eyes closed tightly. "We traveled through the Meadows and over the Desert plains, to come and speak with you in your court."

The Gryphon went and stood by Annie, resting a slender hand on her shaking shoulders. Katniss watched them all, noting the way Haymitch kept looking around for Effie. How Prim clutched Buttercup to her chest. And how the Hatter's hands were trembling. From fear or sadness she didn't know which.

"After we were attacked by the Red Knights we went to see Absolem. He said that we have Real Alice with us and prophesized as well. He said she would win the games. Primrose Everdeen stepped forward and decidedly took the title as Real Alice. We came here immediately after, so you know you have your Champion."

Katniss noticed the way he omitted that Real Alice would lose her best friend and unearth secrets kept for generations. He left out the fact that the White Rabbit went on about the Dormouse not having a golden watch.

A hesitant smile broke across the White Queen's face. Relief in her green eyes. "Real Alice, please step forward."

Prim set the Cheshire Cat down on the ground gently before smoothing her dirtied skirts and walking closer. Her neck heated as the Queen stood from her throne and inspected her, slender fingers touching the strands of golden hair and pressing delicately into the skin of her cheek.

"You," she said softly, grinning widely but with eyes still haunted by sadness. "Will do just fine." She swirled around, the edges of her dress brushing along the floor as she swiftly closed in on Katniss. "You are her sister, yes?"

The brown haired girl nodded quickly, feeling her heart jump in her chest.

"You will protect our Champion, will you not?" Her eyes were imploringly honest, as if the depths of her soul were swimming directly on the surface. Katniss detected something not quite right about her as she nodded in agreement. "Then," the woman floated away from her on graceful feet. "We must celebrate, call in Cinna."

Katniss decided the Queen was just as mad as the rest of them.

.

_**x. o. x. o.**_

.

It had been so long since she felt water against her skin. The team had drawn a bath for the girls, in white tubs with lion claw feet. The water was warm and there were different soaps in multitudes of colors and scents. Some had pieces of oatmeal in them to scrub off dead skin, others were imbued with essential oils that moisturized.

"Katniss, Primrose." Cinna entered and the girl's blushed, thankful for the bubbles on top of the water. "The team will be here presently, please, bathe as long as you need to." He gave them a wink, golden eyeliner glittering in the soft candle light. "I'm sure you'll feel much more human afterwards."

The girls nodded weakly as he left. Soaking in the water until their fingers and toes became prunes. They washed in silence, Katniss trying an assortment of different bottles, taking the glass in wet fingers and pouring some onto her olive skin.

"Try some, Prim. We may never be back."

The younger girl looked at her with wide eyes, shakily grabbing a puffy white towel. "That's what I'm afraid of Katniss, you heard Boggs, I'll lose my best friend." She wrapped the fabric around her small frame, droplets falling off of her hair and puddling on the tile floor. "You're my best friend, Kat. I couldn't stand to lose you."

The brown haired girl nodded, also stepping out of the bath and grabbing her own towel. "You won't, Prim I promise you."

"But what i-"

Cinna popped back in then, smiling and pulling at them, inspecting the work that would need to be done. He handed them two robes to put on. The girls took them gladly and wrapped them around their cold skin.

His hand was under his chin, watching the sisters with soft brown eyes that matched the warm color of his skin. "You two are quite beautiful," he said evenly, voice velvety and sincere. "But the dresses you had on did nothing for you."

Katniss blushed as he picked up the tattered, torn, and sheared underlying layers of her dress. "Really, dear, had you nothing else to use?"

Her grey eyes fell away from him, the heat of her face was causing her to inwardly curse. "I-I-"

He laughed then, signaling to someone else in the room. "I'm just teasing, fabric can be used for so many different things, not just for fashion." Three others stepped forward. "This is Octavia, Flavius, and Venia. They will be helping the two of you prepare."

"For what?" Prim asked softly. "Are we going somewhere?"

The soft look in Cinna's eyes hardened, the golden lining around his lashes seemed to glint ominously. "To war, dear girl."

Then he was striding out of the room, talking about dresses for the banquet and the atrocity of battles.

Octavia stepped forward and silently began to brush through Katniss' damp and tangled mess of hair. Tsking her tongue now and then, advising better ways to care for it, even in such a strange new environment. Flavius lifted Prim's leg and applied a bitter smelling black cream to the wound on her calf.

"This should heal you right up," he said softly, tender fingers probing the skin. "Do you have cuts anywhere else?" Prim held out her palms hesitantly, remembering the way Cato had hissed in her face. The man spread the salve onto her exposed hands as delicately as he could. "You don't have to be afraid here," he mumbled as he worked. "We'll keep you safe Real Alice."

Venia smiled at Katniss as she held up a white dress. It has some golden embellishing on it, across one strap and under the bustline, trailing like flickering fire across the fragile fabric of the garment. "Cinna has been waiting years for Real Alice to wear this," she giggled tenderly. "He'll finally get his wish when the procession happens two days from now. The White Queen wants the public to see you, Prim." She turned to the blonde girl. "They need to see our savior."

Primrose swallowed, "Will Katniss be allowed to stand with me?" She scuffed her shoe along the floor. "I can't do it on my own."

The whole prep team stopped and murmured encouragement before helping the girl into a different dress. It trailed to the floor at varying lengths, with subtle hints of gold and ivory lace. They painted her fingernails in silver and pinned her hair in ringlets, a few pieces left to escape and frame her china blue eyes.

Katniss was also put into a dress, though much more plain than Prim's lace. It was a light fabric, also originating from the white and gold color palette. It was strapless, accentuating the curve of her collar bone and the olive tone of her skin.

The prep team left a few minutes after that, admiring their work, murmuring that Cinna would be sent in to add the final details. Prim turned her big blue orbs onto her sister and a whimper exited her throat. She took awkward steps in the heels the team had strapped to her ankles, wrapping her arms around Katniss' waist.

"This place is so strange," she whispered, feeling desperation well in her young chest. "I don't know if I can be Alice. They're expecting so much from me."

Kat rubbed circles into her sister's back, tenderly giving her a squeeze. "I know Little Duck, but you'll do fine. I believe in you."

Primrose looked up at the other female, anxiety clear in her eyes. Her fingers found Katniss' hands and bound them tightly. "You won't leave me will you? I need you."

Katniss shook her head and placed a kiss on her forehead. "I won't leave you, I'll be here always."

.

_**x. o. x. o.**_

.

It appeared that everyone was taken to their own prep team. They were all dressed in finer clothes, the Hatter no longer limped, he probably got the same black salve that Prim had. He was dressed in a tux, the tails still flapping some as he walked, his patchwork hat sat on his head, completely mismatching the white and gold of his suit.

He stepped closer to Katniss as Prim ran off towards Buttercup, who's fur had been brushed clean of any and all dirt. The girl's grey eyes picked up Haymitch, also clothed in a similar white suit, clutching Effie to his chest. Her pink hair was down now, in curly strands around her head. They were holding onto each other like the world had almost ended.

Peeta reached a hand out and fingered the fabric. "I like this," he said softly, swirling blue eyes inspecting the ivory clothe. "It's really soft."

Katniss nodded, and took his hand in hers. "What do we do now?" she asked quietly, feeling drained from the mania of the past few days. She only wanted to sleep.

The male shrugged as she brushed a few pieces of his pale hair from his eyes, noticing how long his lashes were once again. "Do you want to go to the roof?" She raised an eyebrow at him and he just smiled, tugging on her arm, taking her away from the morose atmosphere of the castle.

It was warm out when they got to the roof, the sun slowly skimming along the edge of the horizon. The sky was morphing from its orange hue into a deeper red, like blood inking the edges of the world. The roof top was dappled white with a garden a few feet off. Chimes seemed to twinkle and odd arrays of flowers were blooming. Some Katniss had never seen before, others were the ones from her world, just painted gold and white.

They sat down on the ground as a breeze danced by, carrying the sweet scent of floral. Peeta offered his legs as a pillow when Katniss decided to lay down. She accepted and felt his fingers running tenderly through her hair. "Peeta," she spoke his name lowly as she started to drift off to sleep. He hummed, sky still darkening to crimson. "Why are you here… if you don't mind me asking."

He was silent, hands still in her tresses, and he sighed. "A long time ago, I lived with my mother and my father… they were bakers." His voice became strained, and she could see the colors swirl dangerously in his eyes. "They taught me about pastries and breads, all this stuff about baking. And I loved them. My mom was a little strict sometimes, but she had to keep 3 boys in line." His voice cracked and he was fidgeting, grabbing his hat and then placing it back on his head.

"Our town was attacked when I was 8. There was fire and smoke, and to this day I don't know what happened. I heard my mother scream as she burnt to death."

Katniss felt her skin shudder over muscle. Thinking about her father.

"That was when Rue showed up. I was crying trying to go back to our shop, but she grabbed my hand and hauled me away. She was 10 at the time and already had a golden pocket watch. She said everything would be alright, and saved me by taking me down the rabbit hole." He paused and looked at his hands. "I was never able to repay her for that."

The girl was silent, watching him. "Is that where you got your watch?" she asked quietly. He nodded, pulling the golden thing from his breast pocket.

"Yes, it was Rue's." He paused, eyes tracing over the edges of her face, fingers coming up to feather her lips. "And when I die, you can have mine."

Katniss felt herself blush as a shy smile graced his full lips. "I-I'm just Fake Alice, I couldn't-"

He grinned at her before gently placing a kiss on her temple. "No, you're not Fake Alice. You are the only one who has no name." He kissed her again. "You will be the Mockingjay, the one who was never meant to stumble into Underland."

She watched him, and couldn't help but think of the way she was never a part of anything. Even in her real world, Gale never understood her, he handled her, but never understood. He didn't get why she always told stories of a faraway land called _Wonderland_, her other friend Madge thought she was weird because she didn't want to be married to a Lord. Her mother tolerated the talk of magical worlds, because it reminded her of her dear, deceased husband. But even she looked at Katniss as if she was delusional.

And even though the Hatter's words condemned her to be an outcast in another world, where she still didn't belong, she felt her heart constrict and then explode. She leaned up and kissed his lips. Because he was just as delusional, just as mad. Because Peeta made her belong here. After all, she was his Mockingjay.


	7. Orange the Color of the Sky

Ohkae. Chapter seven is a go.

Thank you once again, for the reviews/ favorites/ and alerts. They make me smile, I love them, they are seriously what make this story possible. So thank you, from the bottom of my heart. Please enjoy, and please leave a review telling me what you think :)

I don't own the Hunger Games or Alice in Wonderland

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_Tick Tock_

_.  
_

Prim was sleeping soundly the next morning when Katniss woke up. She was having a bad dream about wire furred Mutts chewing Finnick to pieces. Her brown hair was sticking to her skin and her breath was coming in odd gasps. Her throat felt dry and she shakily sat up from the comfort of the blankets, trying to untangle the long strands of hair. Her fingers unintentionally bound it into a braid, and she couldn't help but smile to herself. Her braid reminded her of Peeta.

Sighing, she got up, slipping on a heavier dress over her nightgown, feet picking delicately across the white marble floors.

There was a commotion from the main hall, crashing and footsteps and Katniss skittered across the corridor. She ducked and hid down behind a jutting door frame, she could see the rest of the hall, but was hidden from their view.

She saw Johanna's short blonde hair and a handful of others hurrying, carrying the thin body of the Dormouse.

Katniss noticed the dripping blood and her tattered clothes, heart immediately jumping into over drive. There was a person following behind, mopping up the splatters of bright red, washing away whatever stains would taint the White Queen's delicate mind.

The dark haired girl let her feet carry her closer, keeping her distance, but staying close enough to see the Dormouse's grey form.

"What happened?" a man whispered to Johanna, his voice even as his fingers ran over her wounds. Clean cotton fabrics were clutched in his hands, pressing against the cuts in her flesh. "How the hell did she get away? And where is Finnick, Annie will go crazy if she see-"

Johanna gave him a sharp look, her lips in a tight straight line. "You do not speak of such things, Mock Turtle, we will not assume anything until we have proof. Finnick is the only person who keeps Annie sane, even then they're both close to the edge." Katniss could see the way the Gryphon's hands were shaking, and wondered how worried the pissy woman really was. "Without Finnick we have no chance, because we lose both of them if he's gone, you know that Plutrarch."

The Mock Turtle seemed to nod, agreeing with the statement about their unhinged, beautiful, and innocent Queen. He was still pressing dressings into the woman's injuries.

"I-I almost didn't make it out…" the Dormouse coughed up blood, it leaked from her lips. "I tried to find him but I couldn't, Snow is selling him."

"What?"

Katniss turned and saw Annie's bright green eyes staring confusedly at the grey haired woman on the table. "Tell me," she hissed, running forward with trembling hands. "Tell me where he is, tell me what that bastard is doing to him!"

Gryphon attempted to pull her back, but the White Queen turned her eyes on the blonde, daring her to make a different move. Johanna swallowed, stepping back as the man who was trying to patch Coin up shuffled away quickly too. No one questioned her when it came to Finnick. No one.

Annie grabbed onto the Dormouse's collar, lifting her up off of the table in a show of strength Katniss wouldn't have expected from such a petite woman. "Tell me about Finnick." Alma Coin shook, opening her mouth but no sound came out. "Tell me!" Annie screamed, thrashing the woman against the table. A moan escaped her lips, but the Queen refused to relent.

She was about to press her fingers into one of the cuts, rip the flesh more, but the Dormouse opened her mouth. "He's being sold… by the Red King. The people of his court a-are so obsessed with him. The White Queen's love, who can resist?"

The dark haired woman let out a bloodcurdling shriek, slamming the woman's body against the table again.

Katniss felt small fingers press against her, and when she looked she saw that the rest of the castle was gathered around the red stained white room. Primrose was standing beside her, pale and sick looking as she watched the scene in front of them. Effie was crying into Haymitch again, her hair still mussed, for once not wearing high heels.

"What else," Annie yelled, pressing already bloodied fingers into an injury. The woman screamed.

"They're torturing him to get information. I heard him screaming, I think the King wants to kill him after he's taunted you long enough. I don't know anymore, I don't know anymore!"

There were tears running out of her slush colored eyes and the White Queen let her fall ungracefully back onto the table. Her fingers were tarnished with the crimson color and she wiped them into the silver of her nightgown.

Her mouth twisted then, and her hands came up and covered her ears, leaving red streaks on her pale skin. Tears streamed down cheeks and she sunk to the ground, rocking gently back and forth. She was shaking and shivering, Finnick's name falling like a mantra from her lips.

The Gryphon came up closer to her, setting a delicate hand on her friend's shoulder.

"Get out!" Annie screamed, standing and pushing Johanna away, causing the blonde to stumble. "All of you!" She screeched, looking around the room with spinning green eyes. "All of you get the hell out of here!"

She looked stern, but the façade died when her lower lip trembled. Her fingers came up to her ears again, pressing in tightly against her skull, trying to block out the voices who taunted her from the inside.

Johanna motioned for everyone to leave, the men came and picked up the Dormouse, careful to not upset her wounds anymore.

Peeta held Katniss' hand securely, letting her borrow some of his strength. They walked slowly, heading towards nowhere in particular. "Hatter," she whispered, keeping her eyes straight ahead. "Do you remember what the White Rabbit said?"

She could see him nodding from the corner of her vision. His patchwork hat seemed even brighter against the snow white of the castle. "The White Rabbit is mad, she doesn't know anything."

"We're all mad here." Katniss said evenly. "What if she does? She's like Absolem, she makes predictions that are true."

The blond opened his mouth but Johanna cut in.

"Fake Alice, I need to speak with you."

Katniss looked up to see the Gryphon standing there, her fingers pressed together in front of her. The brown haired girl nodded, giving Peeta a look before carefully extracting her hand from his.

.

_**x. o. x. o.**_

_**.  
**_

The blonde woman lead Fake Alice down a different corridor, made a handful of turns, and the ended in a garden. It was wide and green, probably the only normal place in Underland. There were people painting the red roses white.

Johanna picked one and sniffed it. Her nose curled and her mouth grimaced. "Do you know why royalty always love roses?"

Katniss was confused at the statement, unsure if this was the reason she was summoned or if the Gryphon was tiptoeing around the actual conversation. The brunette shrugged and took the flower when Johanna pressed it close to her hand.

"Roses are the only flower that can cover the scent of blood and disguise itself in the red liquid." Her dirt colored eyes swung around to the workers who were painting the roses. "Annie hates the color red, because she found her mother dead. Red is the bane of her existence."

"What about Finnick's hair?" Fake Alice asked in a soft voice. "It's crimson, crimson is red."

Johanna looked at her with a brow raised. "Yes." She seemed to think about it for a while. "But Finnick is different."

There was no further explanation given. And Kat twirled the rose in her fingertips for a few moments, cringing when a thorn caught her skin. The petals were painted in ivory, previously a blood red. The trickle of her crimson against the white was startling.

"You have to keep a watch on Primrose." Gryphon said softly, again watching around the grounds. "She will be in danger. Real Alice has always been a target for the Red Knights, so we were all relieved to see you come into the castle, Real Alice in tow. So you must keep her safe."

"Obviously I will. Not for you, but for me. She's my sister. And you didn't seem too relieved when we came to see the White Queen."

Johanna scowled. "Someone has to keep that damn Hatter in line."

Katniss glared back at the woman evenly. "Well maybe if you gave him a kind word instead of damning him, it would be a little easier." And even though she was sort of lost, and didn't know exactly how to get back to her room, she stormed from the area. The rose was clutched in her hand, the thorns sticking in her palms and the sickly sweet scent hung in her nose as she stalked from the grounds. She was hissing inwardly about how stupid the Gryphon was, and what a bitch she could be, when she stepped through the doorway, back into the corridor and simply picked a direction and walked.

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_**x. o. x. o.**_

.

It wasn't ten minutes before she was horribly lost. She refused to call out for help in case Johanna was around to mock her. She tried the large white doors that lined the marble floored hallways. Most of them were locked, and she was getting frustrated. She was away from Prim, she didn't know where the Hatter or the Tweedles were, and she was starting to panic. Her heart was racing and within seconds she was madly running down the hall, pulling at doorknobs and then sprinting to another to try it too.

Finally she ripped open a door, the only one that was unlocked, and she stepped into a whole other world.

This one was still based in Underland, but it was an art studio. There were colors spattered all over the floor, some staining the walls. There were pictures on canvases everywhere. They littered the floor, lined the walls, some even blocked the light coming from the wide window.

She gasped and heard a few footsteps and within heartbeats, the Hatter was standing in front of her, face streaked with blues and greens.

"Katniss," he said softly, a smile breaking across his mouth. "I was hoping you'd stumble into me," he grabbed onto her hand and drug her through the maze of paintings. "I want to show you these," his voice was excitable, his hat for once was nowhere to be found.

"Hatter," she breathed, dove eyes scanning over the paintings. "These are…"

Her voice trailed off as her eyes truly picked up the artistry. There were watercolors and landscapes, portraits of everyone she knew and some she didn't know. He had been able to capture the blatant love Annie and Finnick shared, the griping half hidden romance between Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum. There was one of Prim cowering below Absolem, golden vapor still seeping from his lips. The blue forest was deep and inviting, looking every bit the Wonderland Katniss' father had talked about.

Then she noticed there was an entire collection of her. Her with her waist long hair flowing and free, the way he must have seen her when she fell asleep in his lap the day before. The look in her grey eyes when she watched Prim accept the role of Real Alice. He had painted a picture of them together, when they were kissing, his patchwork hat casting shadows over their faces.

"Peeta," she breathed, reaching a hand out to him. He grasped it gratefully. "This is… I don't have words…"

He grinned at her again. "You like them?" she nodded vigorously.

"Curiouser, and curiouser. The Hatter who bakes and paints." He smiled and she beamed back at him. "These are fantastic."

His happiness subsided a bit, blue eyes clouding with another lightning storm. "Rue taught me. Once we turned 15 and… I uhm…"

"Fell in love with her?" Katniss supplied, still eyeing the paintings as he spoke in a soft voice.

He nodded, a blush crawling up his pale skin. "Yea. She taught me how. The White Queen agreed that we could have our own studio here, and so we painted."

"Do you have a canvas of Rue?" the Mockingjay asked quietly. "I would like to see her."

The male looked stunned for a moment, jaw hanging, but then he nodded and disappeared behind another row of paintings. She could hear him rummaging, and a few curses he let fall when there was a loud bang. He was muttering again as he lugged a large canvas through the make-shift hallway of paintings. His hair was mused and she couldn't help but crack a smile at his antics.

He set the thing on an easel, and then took a step back.

Katniss' grey eyes widened as she took in the girl personified on the stand. She had huge brown eyes that reflected sparkling light back at the viewer. Her skin was a warm brown, mixing and offsetting the vivid blue of the background. She was smiling, with white teeth. There were pieces of wildflowers tucked into the soft brown tresses of hair. They were in yellows, whites, and purples, lacing in perfectly with the strands of brunette.

"I can see why you loved her." Katniss whispered, reaching a hand out, and with an affirmative nod from Peeta, let her fingers run down the paint. "She's beautiful."

The male nodded. "She was." But his eyes weren't on the picture anymore; they were resting on Katniss' face. "I miss her like crazy sometimes," he mumbled reaching out and twining their fingers together, "But you seem to make it better." She watched him evenly, feeling her heart palpitate as the words fell from his tongue. "I don't feel as crazy when you're with me."

There was a knock at the door. Effie's pink head popped in. "Peeta-Oh! Katniss," her eyes flew to their interlocked hands. "Are you showing our dear Mockingjay Ms. Rue?" The boy nodded, eyes glazing over to the picture once more. Effie sighed and tears shown in her eyes. "Hatter," he looked over. "I'm so sorry for everything that happened that day. If I could change what happened I would."

He nodded at her, and watched as she wiped a few stray tears from her cheek.

She gave them a warm, watery smile. "I just came by to tell you that it's time for dinner."

They nodded, and with a final look at the paintings, they walked out of the room.

.

_**x. o. x. o.**_

_**.  
**_

The food was all laid out in giant platters on long tables. Everything was in white, the platters, the cups and tea pots, the table cloth, and the seats were all decorated in ivory. The giant snow seat at the head of the room was empty as everyone filed in.

"Where's Annie?" Katniss whispered as she and the Hatter gravitated towards seats. Primrose trotted up to them as Buttercup followed her heels.

"When the Hare is in danger, she breaks down."

Prim's eyes were large. "Annie hasn't come out of her room all day, no one knows what to do." She spoke low, reaching down to take the Cheshire Cat into her arms.

"There's nothing to do," the animal said, whiskers quivering a little. "She's the Queen, if she wants to lock herself away, there's nothing we can do." He yawned, exposing long white teeth.

The Everdeen sisters exchanged a look before falling quiet, taking the few steps to the seats and sitting. Peeta turned to Katniss, asking what she wanted before he started piling up plates of cheese buns and filling bowls of plum stew. Prim poured cream milk into a saucer for Buttercup who lapped it before reaching for a scone and biting into it too. They sat silently, warily watching as other staff and the members of the White Queen's court walked by. The Gryphon was sitting near the empty royal throne. Plutrarch, the Mock Turtle who had been helping mend the Dormouse, was beside Johanna, whispering furiously. The Dormouse herself was seated a few tables off. Her hair hung loosely, no longer the unnatural grey sheet it had been before. Her shoulders were hunched, and Katniss wondered again about the White Rabbit's warning.

They were resting in the Great Room hours later, watching the fire flicker and listening as Haymitch and Effie spoke softly about old friends they used to know. Mentioned how Chaff the Tiger Lily used to drink with them and Seeder the Cook helped plan the wedding a few years back. Effie became teary eyed and had to stop speaking, once again hiding herself in Haymitch's chest.

Prim was tucked against Katniss' side, borrowing warmth and her body to use as a pillow. She was snoring softly. "Primrose," the younger girl turned her bleary blue eyes onto her sister. "Let's take you back to the room so you can sleep properly."

She opened her mouth to struggle, but a yawn came out instead. Smiling sheepishly, she nodded and let Katniss take her hand, giving everyone in the room a delicate wave as they headed out. The younger sister leaned heavily on the elder, shuffling her feet until they made it into the room. Katniss helped Prim into her nightgown, and brushed her blonde hair out of the crowning braid Cinna had imposed on it earlier in the day.

"Kat," the blonde said, nestling her head into the pillow.

"Yes?" the brunette mumbled, still brushing the knots out of soft flaxen strands.

"I'm glad you're here with me. I wouldn't know what to do without you." Her breathing was becoming even and her fingers relaxed their grip on the blanket.

Katniss smiled to herself. "I promise you won't have to figure that out. I'll be here for you, Little Duck. Whatever you need." She was rewarded with an answering grin before the teenager fell asleep.

.

_**x. o. x. o.**_

_**.  
**_

The red of the sky was overcast with grey clouds. The entirety that was the stratosphere was just a grey dome, locking them all in and suffocating them with its neutrality. The Mockingjay was standing at one of the wide glass windows, pressing her hands into the invisible surface, watching as the clouds rolled by, rumbling and echoing as lightning snaked around the mist.

"Can't sleep?"

It was a familiar deep voice she hadn't heard since Primrose went to sleep. She had looked for him, even finding the art studio once more and searching for him there. But he hadn't been around. She felt so relieved to see him there in that moment.

His patchwork hat was placed on his head once more; the pale strands of hair were framing his eyes, the blue color dancing almost violently. He smiled at her, and she couldn't help but feel a bit lighter. Something had been bothering her most of the day, but she couldn't place her finger on it. She couldn't shake a feeling of hopelessness that kept tugging at her being. Like something bad was waiting patiently in the corners, just biding it's time for her to turn her back.

She shook her head, and her hair swirled around her shoulders. "No, I feel something nagging at me, I just don't know what."

He seemed to sigh and his arm snaked around her waist, holding her to his side. "I know. I can't shake it either. I just feel this weight on my chest, right here in the castle." She watched as he quickly took stock of their area, as if he could sense another presence just like she could. "It's driving me crazy."

That made her giggle a little, and he looked at her surprised, eyebrows raised high on his forehead. "You laughing at me, dear Ms. Everdeen?"

She tried to stifle her laughter, but then he just started making odd faces, twisting his lips and his eyes, relishing in the noise exiting her throat. He fell silent, his facing taking on its normal state, and he observed the lightning that spidered across the sky. "I really like the color orange."

Katniss' brows furrowed, confused by the sudden change of topic. "Why?"

"They sky is normally orange, it reminds me of home."

Katniss sighed, picking at her fingernails, suddenly aware of how close their bodies really were. She felt her heart pick up a faster beat, and warmth started to seep through her blood. "I don't know if you remember, but on our home the sky turns orange before evening sets in." The girl paused, "Hatter? What happens after Prim saves all of you?" she set her grey eyes on him, "Do we get to go home?"

Swirling blue ice. "Isn't this home, isn't it with me?" the way his voice wavered broke her heart and he suddenly looked very young. Like he wasn't three years older than she, but it looked as if he were eight again, watching his mother die in their home. His eyes were the moon and his lips were trembling, brows knitted tightly on his head. "Mockingjay, isn't your home with me?"

She was about to open her mouth, to say what she wasn't sure, but a scream echoed and reverberated through the halls and directly into Katniss' heart.

It was Primrose.


	8. The Red Queen

Woot! Okay, sorry for the fairly short/ long wait. (I felt it was long) the chapter I was working on (chapter 10, mind you) was giving me some trouble. But I wrestled it down and got it under control. I'd like to thank all of you once more. For the reviews/ alerts/ favorites and for the time it takes you to read this. I hope you like it, I really do :) Please leave me a review and tell me what you think, I'm quite curious to know :D

I don't own The Hunger Games, or Alice in Wonderland

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_Tick Tock_

.

The Hatter dropped the thread of conversation as they ran to the Everdeen's room, getting there in sync with almost everyone else. Annie was standing there, eyes red from crying all day, the Gryphon beside her, trying to soothe her. Katniss burst into the room, pushing everyone out of the way, and her heart entered her throat at the sight.

"Katniss," the girl gurgled, she had blood welling in her throat, blonde tresses a tangled mess. She tried to speak again but red liquid just spluttered from her lips and it speckled on her flesh, crimson against her snow white skin.

The older girl ran to her sister, wrapping Prim's cold hands in her own. There was too much blood to really tell what happened. It was soaking her nightdress and the pale strands of her hair. It was a stark contrast to the ivory of the room.

"Who did this to you?" Katniss looked around, "Who did this to her?" she screamed. "Where the hell is Plutrarch, isn't he in charge of this stuff?" Johanna opened her mouth but Katniss cut her off. "Get his ass here right now, don't you see Real Alice is hurt?"

"Katniss!" Prim managed, giving the older girl a light squeeze. The Mockingjay fell silent, watching her sister with wide grey eyes. "Plutrarch won't help, I'm going to be a doctor, remember? I know when there's too much blood." She struggled to take in another breath, her body started to convulse and her fingertips clenched onto Katniss' hand.

"Listen to me," she murmured, voice nothing above gossamer thick. "You have to save them."

"Primrose-"

The girl shook her head, taking a huge amount of energy from the small stash she had left. "It was always supposed to be you, she said Fake Alice didn't know her place, and then sh-she…"

"Prim!" Katniss grabbed the girl's shoulders, shaking her slightly. Scarlet liquid stained her fingertips, and the baby sister did not respond. Katniss screamed the girl's name again, rattling her bones with trembling hands. "Primrose Everdeen, get up!"

The Mockingjay could feel Peeta's fingers gently pulling at her arms. "Katniss," he started but she refused to look in his eyes.

The brunette shrieked and darted for the door but faltered when she saw the crowd. Haymitch hid his face in Effie's hair, but by the quivering of his shoulders Kat guessed he was crying too. Johanna was watching with wide brown eyes, Annie directly beside her, delicate mouth in the shape of an 'Oh'. Plutrarch was wringing his hands and Buttercup was wailing, tail flicking back and forth angrily.

"Who the hell did this?" They all looked at the girl, dumbfounded expressions mixed with horror. "Tell me!" she hissed again.

She saw the Dormouse watching behind Annie, slinking in the doorway. Katniss scowled and pushed through the group, shoving Annie into Johanna who swore.

"Show me your watch."

Coin's eyes widened, confusion playing easily in her slush eyes. "What do you mean _'Show me your watch'_ I-"

The girl gritted her teeth and pressed her fingers into a wound the way she saw Annie do the day before. "Show me!" The Dormouse suppressed a scream.

"Don't take out your anger on me!" She shrieked, taking a step away from the Everdeen. "Hatter, Tweedle Dee, do something!"

The Mock Turtle grabbed Katniss' waist before the girl jumped for the Dormouse's throat. "You're a liar!" Katniss screamed, pushing and thrashing against Plutrarch. "Coin you're a murderer!" Peeta ran over and held out his arms, the Mock Turtle pressed the flailing girl to him and then abandoned the excitement, pulling the Dormouse away to check on her now reopened wound.

"Katniss," Peeta murmured into her ear, she refused to listen, her hands uselessly pounding against his chest as he held her close. "Kat, please, Mockingjay. Listen to me."

They heard cackling a few heartbeats later. "You have to keep it safe. The golden mockingjay, Real Alice is in danger."

They looked up and saw the White Rabbit standing there, with her eyes wide, a crooked smile was placed on her lips, blood spattered from the junction of her mouth.

"Real Alice is dead." Katniss spit. "You're too late."

The woman shook her head, a slight laugh exiting her throat. "Real Alice," a boney finger pointed at Kat's chest. "Fake Alice was taken care of by the Dormouse, to make Real Alice weak. Alice the Mockingjay is in danger."

The room fell into a heightened silence. It seemed that even the shallow breathing stopped. Effie's eyes were bulging, Haymitch was holding her tightly, his knuckles tinted white from the effort. Peeta started to shake his head.

"She had the Red Crown pinned to her traitorous head!"

"Coin can't be-"

Wiress laughed, red still seeping from her lips. "She is, she's the bloody Red Queen. The one who has been _missing_ for years. She was hiding in the middle of us!"

A strangled noise came out of Effie's throat, as Peeta's eyes hardened, glints of insanity dancing with the lightning. Katniss heard him swear under his breath, muttering about the reason why they had always been losing the war. Tweedle Dee punched the wall, Annie started to cry large tears welling and leaking down her soft cheeks.

"Alice the Mockingjay," the White Rabbit reached out, bloodied fingers tracing down Katniss' cheek. "You must save the Larkspur, he's doing this all against his will." Her throat gurgled, and she started to collapse. The Mockingjay struggled against the Hatter's grasp and grabbed the thin woman before she had a chance to smack off of the white marble floor. "Tick tock, Real Alice. _Tick _**tock**." Then with a shuddering breath, her owl eyes fluttered closed, and she too, was gone.

.

_**x. o. x. o.**_

.

The staff ran through the castle, searching for the injured Dormouse. Ripping open the locked doors, searching under the rose bushes in the gardens. But she was nowhere to be found.

Katniss was still in Prim's bedroom, petting the ice cold hand. They had cleaned her up some, the blood still stained her skin a sickening pink, but it was no longer dipped in scarlet. Her hair had been braided back into its crowning glory, pinned to her skull. Peeta was beside her, not touching her, but his presence was helping.

There was a knock on the door, and the two looked up. Johanna was standing there, Effie and Haymitch right behind her. "We haven't been able to find the Dormouse," the Gryphon said in a harsh voice that couldn't quite overpower the sadness that swam underneath. "Coin has escaped."

Katniss nodded, eyes falling back to Primrose. "I just don't know what to do."

Effie came in, feet clad in soft golden slippers. She laid a delicate hand on the Everdeen's shoulder. "I know, dear. I know." Then she pulled the girl into a bone crushing hug. Effie smelled like citrus and strawberries, it clung to her skin and hair. It reminded Katniss when her father used to take his daughters out to the meadow behind their house. Pick the red fruit for lunch and her mother would have oranges all ready at home.

Katniss held onto Tweedle Dum tightly, gaining a sense of maternal love she hadn't experienced in what seemed like years. "Effie," she mumbled into the woman's shoulder, feeling new tears pull at her grey eyes.

"Katniss," That was the Hatter's voice, even like always. She let go of the pink haired woman reluctantly, turning to look at the blond. His hat was clutched in his hand, a bloodied golden pocket watch was in his other. "You…" he looked at the golden thing. "This is rightfully yours."

He held it out to her, as Effie clutched Katniss' other hand. "N-no." She thought back to when Peeta told her the story about Rue. How he was entrusted with her mockingjay when she died.

_Primrose is dead._

She felt her heart break at the thought. "No, no." her fingers tensed into fists, white knuckled and taut. "No, that's not mine, she's not-" But her grey eyes moved over to the calm, deceased girl beside her, and water ran down her cheeks.

"Katniss," his blue eyes were different now, wisps of dark grey storm clouds were fluttering amongst the lightning blue. She realized that was what they looked like when he was distraught.

"Long live Real Alice." Johanna said, raising a hand into the air, her palm facing Katniss, as if to share her strength. The other's followed suit, Haymitch raising his palm, Effie did too. It was as if Kat was exhibiting radiation, and they all wanted a part of it.

But the Hatter shook his blond head, eyes still swirling dangerously. "Long live Alice the Mockingjay."

Somehow, he reached over to her and grasped her fingers, lending him some of his strength via his madness. Then his hand was gone, and in its place was the golden watch. The sight of her sister's blood staining the normally beautiful thing made her cringe, and she couldn't help but stare. The image seared itself into her mind, and she knew she would never be the same.

.

_**x. o. x. o.**_

.

Hours later she found herself huddled at the bottom of a closet. Dress petticoats and layers of lace were mashed up on the floor, other pieces of white and gold fabric were covering her shaking shoulders, another was clutched in her fingers systematically wiping the never-ending tears that were falling in torrents from her eyes. Her throat felt scratchy, and her eyes were bulging and red rimmed. Nose was stuffed and leaking snot over the contours of her lips. Katniss felt disgusting, and pathetic, useless… and inexplicably broken.

Her heart wasn't beating the way it should have been, her blood something like frozen in her veins. Her fingers were stiff and unmoving, stuck in balled up fists. She couldn't feel the fabric against her fingertips anymore; it was all the same, uneven, burning, painful cloth that she _knew_ should have felt soft and cool.

She could hear delicate footsteps pass by her hidden spot; a distraught Effie was probably the cause. Others stormed by, and she could almost place the Gryphon, she even walked angrily.

Finally, after she felt her whole body go into the pin-prickling state that was brought on by the loss of blood flow, she pulled herself from her nest. Her throat thick as she wiped her face vigorously, trying to get some of the blood back into her probably corpse-pale cheeks.

It was dark, the large windows letting nothing in but the occasional flash of light from the sky. The lightning was still flashing in the distance, illuminating the sky as if there were Christmas lights strung through the clouds instead of lightning spider webbing across the stratosphere.

Katniss walked on uneasy feet, the weight of the golden watch sat heavily in her dress pocket, equivalent with the weight it held over her heart. It seemed to tick in her head, the noise echoing through her being as it kept time in the mad, mad world.

After another few steps, she found herself leaning against the window, dove eyes larger than the sun as she watched the light show, tears still leaking down her cheeks without consent.

"Can't sleep?"

It was a familiar line, and even thought she wanted him to be beside her, she relived everything that happened since the last time he used the same words. Her heart broke again, fingers shaking violently, and she felt compelled to pull out her long brown hair.

But she didn't, and simply shook her head as an answer. He kneeled beside her, the tails of his coat kissed the floor and a warm hand found hers, wrapping it in warmth. There was music floating from another room of the castle, a haunting tune that was unsettlingly similar to the way Finnick played his wooden flute. Katniss looked up at the blond, alarmed at the instrument being played, but he shook his head.

"Annie can't sleep without him, it drives her mad because he's the only one who keeps her sane." He paused, eyes glancing through the glass, noting the coruscating light playing through the clouds. It cast his face in pale phosphorescence, it glittered with iridescence in his eyes. "Lunatics are insomniacs," he grinned at her. "We never, ever sleep."

She watched him evenly, leaning into him before he tugged at her hand and made her stand. "Dance with me." He whispered and she let him pulled her into his chest, tucking her under his chin as his hands came to rest on her waist. Her fingers found his neck and pulled tenderly at the soft strands of his blond hair.

Katniss listened to his heartbeat thrum near her own heart, enjoying the warmth he gave off, because her body seemed to be broken and not making its own.

"She found him before he was killed in the games, and she saved him. He fell down the hole when he was just a child. He only had a piece of rope he swears his father gave him and the clothes on his back." The male hummed for a moment, tightening his grip around Katniss' waist. "The Red King found him when he was 14 and forced him to join the Hunger Games. Annie found him right before he died, and saved him with her magic… Finnick was the youngest Tribute ever to survive the Games."

"She must really love him." Katniss mumbled into Peeta's shoulder. They were turning in small circles, lazily and languidly, and it all seemed like a dream. The light flickering from the windows, the sound of music floating from somewhere in the castle; Annie sitting by herself somewhere, crying over a man that could already be dead. It was surrealistic, and tiresome. Nothing made sense, her sister was dead because she had the courage to stand up to someone she never met.

The brunette felt the man nod, hair brushing lightly against her head. He smelled like pine trees and rainstorms, mixed with confection sugar and fire. His scent was one of madness, but of comfort, and she felt herself lean into him more, allowing him to hold her together completely.

"Hatter," the Mockingjay spoke softly, fingertips still at the nape of his neck. "I believe in this place now…"

He nodded again, "I'm sorry it took Primrose's death for you to see it." His breath flitted over her ear. "But I know… I know you can do this. I'll be with you every step of the way; I promise I won't leave you Katniss. I believe in you, I believe that you are Alice the Mockingjay, and there's no way you'll lose."

Peeta kissed her temple and the female felt herself tremble, the weight of their situation settling fully on her shoulders, the pressure of the golden watch in her pocket seemed to burn through the fabric.

Her mouth opened, but nothing came out until: "I remember my father told me about the mockingjays, he said they were the most beautiful creatures, and he told me about Annie. He said she was in love with a man who had fire for hair. There was a couple who always fought, but who loved each other fiercely, he mentioned a cat who could talk." She felt herself smile. "And he told me of a man who held everyone above himself, who claimed that no one ever needed him." The Hatter's fingers tensed slightly, but they kept turning in the soft circles. "Peeta-"

"Alice, you must rest now, we will be touring the Districts tomorrow, to show them their Champion." He moved to let her go, so that she could sleep peacefully in her bed while he wondered the castle with bloodshot eyes.

But the girl refused to let his hand go. "Lunatics can't sleep alone," there was water in her eyes. "Hatter, I need you."

He watched her doubtfully for a moment, but followed when she pulled on him. They made it to her room, and she laid down, letting him wrap his arm around her waist, curving around her. His chest pressed against her back and she could feel him breathing, the way his heart played behind his ribs.

Katniss still was leery, that she wouldn't be able to slip into the oblivion, but within moments her breathing evened and her dove eyes fluttered shut. Peeta pressed his lips into the back of her head, and after a while, he slid into the sanctity of sleep as well, the first without nightmares playing behind his eyelids.


	9. Inspiration to Paint

Okay, woot. Chapter nine is now officially up, please enjoy. I would again like to thank all of the reviewers, you guys rock, completely amazingly rock. It makes my day when I see that someone took the time to review, really there's no better thing for an author. I also want to thank you all for the favorites and alerts, they make me smile and brighten my day as well, and I love you all for it :) Thank you for reading, please enjoy, and if you could leave a review, that'd be fantastic :3

I don't own the Hunger Games or Alice in Wonderland

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_Tick Tock_

_._

Cinna opened the door, Flavius was following behind him, carrying the white and golden dress. The one that looked like it was on fire, the hottest kind, white fire. Octavia had an assortment of cosmetics and Venia followed up with tonics and hair removal creams.

The foursome stopped short, surprised by the presence of the Hatter clutching the Mockingjay in his sleep.

Venia turned pink and Flavius hurried to hang the garment and tried to flee from the room. But Cinna grabbed his arm, giving him a look, brown eyes still outlined in gold. "We'll wake her, Peeta has to go to Portia anyhow, the tour will be starting in a few hours."

The group stared at the two for a few more moments before Cinna walked closer and tapped Katniss' shoulder. Her grey eyes opened blurrily, looked around alarmed. She visibly calmed when she noticed Cinna was standing there, and stretched her toes. Then she turned to Peeta, taking a hand in hers and tracing its outline. She didn't want him to wake, because she was still stealing his warmth.

But the small tickles on his palm made him scrunch his nose before opening his eyes. "How'd you know?" he asked softly, and the girl shrugged, a small smile pulling at her mouth. Then he looked over and noticed Cinna waiting patiently. "Hello Lion," the man gave a bow, smiling a little as he straightened. Peeta nodded to the others, "Flavius, Octavia, Venia," they all bowed back at him.

Then the Hatter turned and grinned at Katniss, eyes scanning over her face. They weren't swirling like they had been before, they were more founded, more focused. "I'll see you later," he whispered before leaning into her and kissing her lips. "I'll see you on the tour."

And then before she could object, or ask him to stay, or ask how horrible the tour was going to be, he was out of her arms, out of her bed, and through the door in a heartbeat.

Her eyes landed on the prep team, and all the objects they were holding and she sighed. "Bathe first?" They all nodded with smiles on their faces.

The water was warm, and again she felt just a little more human as she soaked in the tub. But this time Primrose wasn't beside her, and her blood froze once more. With eyes squeezed shut her fingers tightened to white-knuckled fists and tears leaked through her eyes. Katniss let herself sink under the water, it pressed against her face and her hair absorbed the liquid. She stayed below until she felt her lungs give and she burst through the top again, gasping for air that seared her throat.

Cinna came in a little later, when Katniss had the white towel wrapped around her skin. He smiled at her encouragingly, watching with careful brown eyes. "May I say something, Ms. Everdeen?"

The girl nodded, eyes widening in a way that reminded the man of her baby sister.

"I didn't know Primrose for very long, and I know that you're lost without her. But she was amazing." He set to work, hands pulling at the strands of long brown hair. "She would have done fantastically as Real Alice, and it sorrows me that she's gone." He looked at her evenly then, holding the tresses in one large dark hand. "But you, Katniss. You are Alice the Mockingjay. My bet is on you," he smiled at her until the words sunk in and tears were pulling at her eyes again.

Cinna the Lion was silent after that, calling in the others to again pull hair from her legs and under her arms. Before dressing her in the soft white fabric of the flaming dress. It fit her perfectly, accentuating her curves and making her legs look even longer. Make-up was pressed on next, and after a few hours, she was complete.

.

_**x. o. x. o.**_

_**.**_

Her golden shoes matched Effie's in height, making her wobbly on her own feet, but Peeta was beside her once more, acting as a rock to hold her steady. His hand was wrapped around hers and she clamped on it tightly, holding it like a lifeline she was afraid to lose.

He was firm and warm beside her, shielding her from some of the cool air that was meandering through the towns, brought on by the storm the night before. The people came in droves, flocking to see Real Alice, to proclaim their faith in her abilities. There were meager gifts of food and clothing. The mockingjay symbol was emblazed on everything possible. Shirts and necklaces, anything to prove that they were on Alice the Mockinjay's side.

She smiled, and waved. Noting how poor everyone was, and the haunted look that clouded their eyes. They were all scared and thin, starving and waiting for a savior to come. And it was her.

She felt herself shake as she waved, and her mouth waver as they passed on. Peeta seemed to notice, because within seconds his hand moved to her back, lacing her together once more with his insanity. His hat was perched on his head, still mismatching his suit. But no one seemed to notice, and no one really cared. All eyes were on Katniss.

The brunette could feel her mind slipping, the way it used to right after her father died.

_My name is Katniss Everdeen. My name is Katniss Everdeen._

She was shaking worse, the image of the bloodied pocket watch haunting her every time she blinked. She could still feel the sticky liquid coating her fingertips and see it spurting from her petite sister's lips.

Suddenly they were back at the castle, the trip was nothing but a quick nightmare and she tried to run again. Find her closet and hide amongst the dresses and petticoats. But Peeta held onto her hand, dragging her forcefully to the banquet hall. There were more people there. Ones from small provinces and towns that were a little too far off to visit via horse drawn carriage. But they had all made the trip, some barefoot. All to see the wonderful Real Alice.

Peeta was smiling for her, putting on a show to say that their dear Mockingjay was tired, that she couldn't wrap her mind around the fact that she had so much support when Katniss was finally able to jerk her hand free and flee from the scene.

"Alice!" Peeta yelled, turning on his heel and following her down the row of tables. Dodging people with platters of food and glass cups in their hands.

There was a clatter as Katniss stumbled in her heels, a few feet off from the grand entrance doors. The ones that could lead to her freedom. She fell to the ground, knocking a stray platter that clattered with her. It sent pudding flying through the air. The Hatter was beside her within moments, eyes glancing over her for any injury. "Alice," he said softly, fingers pushing a few loose brown tresses back behind her ear. "You can't run off like that, all these people came to see you."

But her eyes were wide, and it was their turn to swirl as she yelled at him. "I am not Alice." Her brows furrowed and she looked desperately at everyone in the room, begging someone to stop the madness that was blossoming in her head. "I'm Katniss Everdeen. I come from the 12th Province of Panem. I am 18 years old, my friend proposed to me. I fell down a hole…" she tried to bite her lip to stop its trembling. "My sister fell with me, and now…. Now she's dead."

The room fell silent, all eyes glued to her pathetic form. She was crying again, stupid tears coursing down her olive cheeks, staining them with golden liquid Cinna had painted around her lashes. She tried to move, but whenever she placed her hands on the white marble floor, she spread the pudding more, causing another layer of stress to bubble through. The ivory dress was stained and no longer looked like it was flaming.

"Damn it," she mumbled, looking at Peeta for reassurance before remembering she was angry with him for calling her Alice. Her eyes fell away from him but he got the message anyway and scooped her up into his arms. She tried beating him, hitting his chest with useless fists for him to replace her on the ground, screaming the words directly into his ears. He refused and simply carried her from the room, back through a maze of halls and eventually she gave up, flinging her arms around his neck and crying into the junction between his jaw and his shoulder.

She scented his madness again, the pine, sugar, rain storms, and fire. And it calmed her, lulled her from her manic state into one of lethargy.

"I can't do it Peeta," she sobbed into him as he walked. "I'm not Alice the Mockingjay, I'm not the strong leader they all need. I-I… I can't do it. Primrose is dead because of me. If I never followed that damn woman through the woods I wouldn't be here, and Prim would be alive, and you all would be going on with your lives. Annie would have Finnick a-"

"He would have been captured anyway." It was even and calm, his hand tracing soft circles in her back. "If you never fell down that hole we wouldn't have anything to believe in, we wouldn't have a chance. We would still trust the Dormouse, we wouldn't know that she had been lying the whole time. We don't have a chance without you Katniss."

He finally stopped walking, and set her down in a room she had never seen before. There was a golden couch, and a fireplace. She was sitting on a messily made bed, clothes were shed everywhere, paint was splattered on the floor, and there was a random oven sitting across from her, flour coating the floor around it.

"Is thi-"

"Yes." He looked around quickly, eyes glancing through the mess. "This is my room; no one comes here except for me." His gaze landed on her. "And now you."

She swallowed and realized she had never been in a boy's room before. Not a boy she shared kisses with. Her eyes grew again, heart palpitating. "What are we doing here?" Katniss mumbled, her breath playing oddly in her lungs. She wondered if it was a symptom of insanity.

He seemed to grin at that, another color coming to swirl in his eyes. It was a light aqua. "Whatever you want." The way he said it deep in his throat made her fingers twitch. "But I thought we could talk first."

_First. _Her mind repeated the word, savoring it. She was angry with him not ten minutes before, why was she noting the order of events?

"What's going on?" He spoke softly, coming to kneel in front of her, looking up at her from his position on the floor. The aqua faded and cobalt seemed to take its place. "What's happening in your head?"

That made her swallow. "Right now or a little bit ago?" He chuckled, smiling as his hands came up to rest on her knees, which made thinking even harder.

"Both."

"I feel tingly right now." She lifted her hand to show him the fact that it was shaking. "Giddy but I don't know why." She sniffed and let one of her palms wipe the snot away from under her nose. "I killed Primrose… that was a little bit ago."

The smile that had been appearing on his lips dissipated. "Katniss, you didn't kill Prim."

"It's my fault, if I had known I was Real Alice she would still be alive." The male shook his head, thumbs rubbing into her leg.

"You couldn't have known. Absolem didn't even know it was you, or else he would have called you to receive the watch." She examined him, struggling to form a wall in her mind, to block him out, but the tingling sensation was ruining any attempt to dispute him. "Things happen that we can't change, Katniss. Don't you think I've thought and rethought the scenario when Rue died? Don't you think I've been driving myself mad thinking about it. Trying to figure out what I could have done differently?"

She was silent.

"I've been going crazy for years, trying to… to figure something out." That broken look fell back into his face; brows knitted together, hands moving to the girl's waist. "There's no use, the only thing it achieves is to make you miserable."

She whimpered at the statement. "But I don't know what to do." She murmured, lips trembling once more. "I… I just feel like I've already lost."

He shook his head and met her mouth. "Not even close, Katniss. Not even close." He whispered, breath fanning over her face, and she pulled him closer, kissing his lips and basking once more in the warmth his body. Letting him find other inspiration for him to paint when she decided to let him go.

.

_**x. o. x. o.**_

_**.**_

Annie was clutching a trident in her petite hands, evergreen eyes roaming over it, noting the place where Finnick's hand would rest, the points that would impale on someone and end their life. She smiled a little, letting her cheek rest against the hilt; it was Finnick's and it made her feel closer to him.

She whispered his name, waving her hand for the man at the opposite end of the room to pick up the song again. He lifted the wooden flute to his mouth and began to play. If Annie closed her eyes, she could imagine that Finnick was in the room with her. Talking with her in his quick, deep voice. Smiling and stirring sugar into tea, because he knew she loved sweet things.

Her Finnick, her poor mad, innocent Finnick.

Her heart was breaking everyday he didn't arrive; everyday she didn't hear news about him. She could feel herself unraveling; she didn't attend the White Castle's banquet that welcomed Katniss as Alice the Mockingjay. She refused to go on the tour of the surrounding villages.

She had sat in her throne room, looking at Finnick's trident, with tears coating her cheeks, as she missed him, and as she became even more unstable.

"Annie," Johanna was in the doorway, with wide brown eyes. Her most loyal friend. "The Council wants to know what your plans are…"

The Council. Annie grimaced, they were always checking on her, making sure she wasn't avoiding her Queenly duties. Which she did whenever she could.

"I don-"

"Annie." The Gryphon walked swiftly closer, taking the White Queen's hands into her own. "You have to make a decision. We can't continue to sit here and do nothing."

"But Finn-"

"Yes, Finnick has been captured. And there's nothing we can do about it. But we have to-"

"_Finnick_," Annie continued, standing with the trident clutched tightly in her shaking palms. "is captured, and he isn't safe when he's _away_ from me." She hissed, taking a step closer to Johanna. "I can't **think** when Finnick is away from me." The Gryphon tried to open her mouth once more, but Annie waved the weapon her way, and Johanna knew that the Queen wouldn't hesitate to attack, not when it came to Finnick. "We will save him, and then I will decide what happens after that."

Johanna nodded quickly, bowing to the ground. "I will call a meeting to take place." And then she scurried off as Annie sat back in the throne. Her shoes drug along the floor and for the few minutes it took for the Gryphon to call the castle to a meeting, she let herself fall back into her misery as tears ran over her cheeks.

.

_**x. o. x. o.**_

_**.**_

"My friends and subjects," She whimpered, still holding the weapon in her fingers. Her green eyes washed over all of their faces, they held sadness and desperation, upset for the very woman they were all living for.

"You know I am nothing without you, Underland is nothing without you. Because without you, no one has hope," She met each set of eyes individually. "I need you, I will always need you all. But…" her voice broke, fingers clutching the trident. "I need my prince too," She stood and trailed to the edge of the raised platform. "He brings hope to me, he brings hope and innocence to our Kingdom, and we need him. I need him…" tears started to fall from her eyes again and her voice wavered. "I need you to get him back… I need Finnick."

She sunk to the floor, the trident in her fingers, the metal cool against her face. "I need him… I need him."

Johanna took a step forward and swept into a bow, "We will retrieve Finnick for you." There was a grumble from the back of the room, and the Gryphon's brown eyes turned to slits, silencing whatever politician was trying to upset the White Queen. "I volunteer m'lady."

Annie's eyes opened, the water leaking down her cheeks. "You will?" she asked, tenderly getting to her feet and gracefully floating to her friend. "You'll get him back for me?" The green orbs were holding her soul on the surface again, and the relief she was feeling was palpable. Johanna nodded, the short hair on her head unmoving.

"Yes. I will get Finnick back for you."

New tears sprung from the Queen's eyes as the Hatter raised a hand and stepped forward, "I will too, m'lady."

Katniss felt her heart flutter and she latched onto his hand, raising her other into the air. "I volunteer."

There was an audible gasp as whispers laced through the crowd. Katniss looked around, noticing the way everyone was watching her, and how Annie's large eyes were focused solely on her. Other hands immediately started to pop up, mumbles and mutters rang out in different tones, and a joyous smile captured the Mad Queen's mouth.

"We will get him back for you," Johanna spoke softly, one of Annie's trembling hands left the trident and clutched onto the Gryphon's. "I promise."


	10. Of Fighting and Bloodshed

Hi! :) Okay, so the past few days have been completely crazy. I've seen too many real life people and I miss the laziness of taking a day for strictly writing. But, here is chapter 10. It gave me a little bit of a fight when I tried to write it, so I hope it came out okay. Please let me know your thoughts in a review.

Thank you once again to all the reviewers. I try and take the time to thank each and every one of you, you're really the reason I'm writing this, and you guys make it worth it. So thank you, seriously, from the bottom of my heart. The alerts and favorites make me smile just as much! You guys are the foundation, and you make me grin like a lunatic. Thank you, seriously. I couldn't do it without you, I love you guys!

Without further or due, I don't own the Hunger Games, or Alice in Wonderland.

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_Tick Tock_

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There was word that Absolem had come to hide in the castle. The whispers and wisps of conversation circling around the idea of war came and rested in everyone's mind. It had floated through the blue forest and over the grassland and desert. The citizens from the farthest districts walked to the White Castle, seeking protection from possible attack. The battle would be on its way soon, and they didn't want to be stuck in the middle.

Katniss was stalking down the corridor, searching for the mist of golden vapor that was the blatant indication of Absolem's presence. For once since she fell down the rabbit hole, she was dressed in pants, and they felt strange encasing her legs. They were different than the kind her father let her wear when they would hike through the woods behind her home. These pants were starched and stiff, but somewhere in the back of her mind, she realized the longer she wore them, the more they would relax.

And there it was, the golden mist escaping through the crack between the wooden door and the white floor. Irritation seeping through her mind, the Everdeen threw the doors open and immediately glared at the grey haired man who looked up surprised.

A languid smile crept over his lips the golden smoke falling from his mouth. "Alice the Mockingjay, what do I owe this honor?"

The girl glared at him, her hands coming to rest on her hips. "Why did you tell us that?" She expected his face to screw up into confusion then sorrow, but he simply took another drag from his hookah and let his fingertips pick into the chair he was sitting in. "Why did you prophesize that Real Alice would lose everything…?" she scanned over the man in front of her, and noticed that he looked so much older than he had the first time they met. There was scruff on his face where he hadn't shaved, and black bags colored in the delicate skin under his blue eyes. "What if it's your fault Primrose is dead? That the fact you said it made it happen- made it come true?"

Katniss could feel her blood freezing over again and struggled to maintain her breathing, to try and fight off the potential paralysis, again wishing for the tight confining space of her closet.

There were glints of sadness in the azure of his eyes as he watched her, the golden vapor offsetting the darkness that seemed to swallow his face. "My dear, Underland is magical, but even those things are out of our control. All worlds are controlled by the same beings, of which no human will ever be able to comprehend, or understand. They speak through me, and someday, Alice the Mockingjay, they will speak through you too."

She glared at him, red coming to ruddy her cheeks. "What are you saying, Boggs? We have no say in our own Fate? That the whole of our lives are just used to entertain beings we will never understand?" She stood in a flourish, feeling the way her hands were shaking as she bristled at him. "You're saying we are pawns in a Game, always and without our consent. Well not me." She hissed turning on her heel and heading for the wooden doors once more. "I am Real Alice, I am the Mockingjay. I decide my own Fate."

And with a final glare at him she ripped open the doors and exited, feet carrying her away from the frustrating conversation she had experienced.

Boogs smiled to himself, taking a drag from the hookah, watching the golden vapor. "And so she believes."

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_**x. o. x. o.**_

.

"Katniss," Annie mumbled her name, green eye wide and alight with resistant joy. "This is for you." She held out a long bow, made of mahogany wood painted black as night. The limbs stretched out with a fair curve at the hand grip, the bowstring was taut and well-made.

The Everdeen took the smooth wood in her hands, turning it over and over, grey orbs glancing over the handiwork. Her father made bows exactly like it. Her lips trembled before she opened her mouth. "Annie, where did you get this?"

The White Queen smiled, lunacy twisting the features of her face as she grinned. "A man named Colton Everdeen fell down the rabbit hole years and years ago." Her delicate fingers traced along the curve of the weapon. "He helped us fight when my mother was still alive, and was there when I rescued Finnick from the Games. He taught our dear Larkspur how to make a bow and arrow, and then I imbued it with magic." Her smile fell as her green eyes inspected the water starting to leak over Katniss' cheeks. "Why do you ask?"

The young woman struggled to speak, swallowing a few times before finding her voice. "My father made bows like these. He worked in the mines, so we never had that much money, but he made bows in his spare time. He loved them, and," her fingers feathered over the curve in the middle. "This was the exact way he made them." She smiled. "I had grown out of the ones we had at home, I-I didn't think there were any left."

The grin crept back into Annie's features. "He left one for you."

She said it easily, as if it were common knowledge, as if Katniss should have known that all her life he had been serious about Wonderland, and the fact that he told her she would have to go. Annie said the words like it was obvious… like it was normal for a father to leave his daughter a weapon in another world.

Katniss gave a short nod, unsure what to say. "W-well thank you." The woman nodded and there were other feet shuffling and soft voices that entered into the underground room.

"Sweet heart, I see you found your weapon." Haymitch walked over, a silver flask clutched in his hand. The girl nodded, eyes widening as they landed on the sword clutched in his other hand. It flickered like fire in the warm candle light, dipped in reds and oranges that mixed like flames.

"I see you found yours." She mumbled back, eyebrows knitted high on her head.

"Oh this…" he looked down at it almost like an offending limb. "It was your father's, he left it here when he decided to return to your mother." Katniss' jaw dropped and tentatively held out a hand, letting the pads of her fingertips run over the cool metal.

"I didn't know all of this. He made Wonderland sound like a safe, happy place. He never said he had to fight." The small group fell silent at the words, eyes roaming along the marble floors and white washed walls, avoiding her gaze.

A hand pulled at her fingertips and she followed the limb up to the man it belonged to. "It can be safe and happy," Peeta said softly, the pad of his thumb running over he knuckles. He smiled sadly at her. "We can make it that way again."

Katniss nodded, noticing that he didn't have a weapon in his possession, her brows knitted and he grinned at her confusion. "I didn't grab my weapon, would you like to join me?" she nodded delicately as he brushed a few strands of her hair behind her ear. "Then we can practice, okay?"

She gave another affirmative nod and he led her through the room. She took in racks of different weapons, morning stars, short swords, and axes. But the Hatter didn't take any of them. They walked to the very back wall, the candle light flickered and cast the whites of the room into greys and blacks.

His thick hands wrapped around the hilt of a hammer. It was about the length of his arm, the head was made of golden metal, aureate and bright, almost blinding, even in the low candle light. There was a spike sticking from one of the ends, large and dangerous. The other side was flat, made to blunt someone's skull and kill them instantly.

Peeta's eyes ran over it happily, the iridescence of the gold danced and mixed with the normal blue lightning. He tossed it easily between his hands, as if it were bread instead of heavy metal. Grinning almost wickedly, he asked: "Ready to practice?"

Her pepper dappled orbed widened at the weapon, but followed him as they walked to a range. The Hatter pulled a sheath of arrows out of nowhere, handing them to her with gentle hands, murmuring what she should do, and the different distances she would need to practice as he walked over to a practice dummy and proceeded to attack it with bloodlust.

Katniss ignored the surrounding noise, the murmuring voices and shuffles of footsteps, blocking out the huffs and hisses that Peeta was letting off as he swung and attacked the dummy. She nocked an arrow, pulling the drawstring back so that the side of her hand rested against her cheek, the back of her wrist barely grazing her ear. She took in a low breath, making sure to keep her arm straight as she took aim. Letting the breath out, she released the string with delicate fingers, listening to the twang of the bowstring as it snapped back into place, the whoosh of air flying through the fletching on the end of the arrow, and the happy thud as it embedded itself into the bulls eye of the target.

She nocked a few more, forgetting for the few moments that they were preparing for war, that her baby sister had been stabbed to death, and the fact that the bow in her hands was probably the last one her father ever made for her.

Soon Effie came over, with a sling shot and ceramic birdies, letting them loose into the air and watching in awe as Katniss shot them easily from their flight path. They broke with a cracking noise and clattered to the ground. The Everdeen girl noticed, after a few more rounds, that the background noises had faded completely, and with wide eyes she gently replaced the bowstring, lowering the weapon and turning to look at the crowd gathered behind her.

There was awe blatant in their faces, mouths in the shape of 'Oh's , eyebrows hidden behind hairlines, and hands hanging uselessly by their sides. Peeta's hammer was resting on the ground as he watched, dumbstruck by her talent.

"Sweetheart," Haymitch ambled closer, breaking the spell they were all under. "I didn't know you were that amazing."

Katniss felt heat run up her cheeks, tossing a few loose stands of dark hair back over her shoulder. She didn't know what to say.

The Hatter smiled and walked closer. "Maybe we should teach you a few other things, since you're so fantastic and all." She nodded and let him lead her away from the prying eyes of the crowd.

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_**x. o. x. o.**_

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Practice didn't last that much longer, and within another day, they were hiding behind large tufts of grass, a few yards away from the menacing gate that led into the Red Castle. Two guards strolled in front of it, laughing and joking, unaware and unafraid of the small group of mercenaries sent to collect Annie's love.

Light glanced from the metal of their armor, casting it in the brightest of reds, the color of fresh blood. Their swords glittered from the hilts at their waist, waiting patiently to be used against an enemy that wasn't so evil.

The small group was kneeling behind the grass, using the waist high tufts as camouflage. Katniss was watching the two men walk, keeping an eye on them in case they were alerted of the tiny team's presence. The Gryphon's eyes were closed, thinking hard and fast about the best way to infiltrate the castle. Her axe was clutched in white knuckled fists, brows causing wrinkles to mar her cream colored skin.

"Listen to me," Johanna said, brown orbs opening and observing the guards too. "According to Tweedle Dum, the group of Red Knights had been talking about keeping the prisoners on the third underground level." Her eyes filed through her group participants, noting the varying array of facial expressions. "That's the only thing we have to go on right now," she pulled the trident Annie had been clutching from a hilt at her waist. "The White Queen imbued this with magic, it will glow red when we're close to him."

Peeta nodded, resituating his grip on the golden hammer in his hands. Alice the Mockingjay's eyes were still following the Red Knights as Haymitch gave an affirmative grunt.

"Katniss," the girl looked over quickly, reaching out a hand as Johanna passed the trident onto her. "You will be in charge of collecting Finnick. We can't leave here without him, and we can't leave without you. So you will use the trident and find him. Stay in the middle of the group, we'll cover you." The brown haired girl nodded, securing the weapon to the other side of her belt. The Hatter absentmindedly scratched underneath the opalescent white armor that shielded his chest.

"I hear Snow doesn't have too many people working for him. He's poisoned most of his council, so the only real threat would be running into Knights through the corridors. But we can take them." She gave them an encouraging smile. "Into the bloody Red Castle, down to the third floor, look for the red glow of his trident, get him, and get the hell out. Any questions?" she asked softly.

"How do we get in, darling? It's a great plan and all, but there's two guards right there."

The Gryphon grinned wickedly, white teeth matching the armor that protected her. "That's where our dear Mockingjay comes in. Katniss," the woman said, motioning at the two men. "Would you be a dear and take them out for us? A shot to the back of the neck should do the trick. There's an unprotected space between the edge of their chest plates and their helmets."

Swallowing, Katniss sat up on her knees, her view of the joking Knights was clearer, and she took aim. The two were still laughing and conversing in loud voices. The Everdeen drew the bowstring, again anchoring it to her cheek as she took a small breath and let the arrow loose. It found home in one Red Knight, felling him dead in one swift move. Before the other man could react, there was a fletching sticking from his back, lying dead in his own blood by his friend.

There were a few congratulatory pats as the group moved forward, taking the Red Castle's gate with precarious steps.

Johanna turned with a hard look in her brown eyes. "If anyone is going to run, do it now. We can't be in the thick of things and have one of you running off." Determined faces stared back at her and she couldn't help but smile. "Okay, good. I don't have any little girls with us. Now," she motioned for Haymitch to come closer. "You stick with me, Peeta stick with Katniss. Tweedle Dee and I will go first, you follow. Katniss, keep an eye on our asses, shoot anyone who comes up from behind."

With a final look, the Gryphon took flight and led the group into the Red Castle.

Her first reaction to the castle was nausea. Everything was red, the color of freshly shed blood. At one point in her life, Katniss would have thought the bright, lush colors were beautiful. But as she watched the crimson walls pass, the luxurious scarlet carpet squish beneath her booted feet, she could only imagine the sight of Prim's blood coating her fingertips, the stain still covering the golden pocket watch hiding in her jeans.

The Everdeen could still see the red leaking from the Red Knights' lips and skin, glazing over the red of their armor. And even though they were evil, following the Red King, she felt her heart thud a little harder. She knew they would never breathe again, and it was because of her. Katniss felt her stomach settle a little, as their feet carried them down a flight of stairs, but she could feel, deep in her heart, that red would never be beautiful to her again.

The level under the entrance gate wasn't much different. Pictures littered the walls. Ones of fighting and bloodshed. The Hatter watched them with fleeting eyes as they ran down the hallways.

Suddenly the scent of roses was overwhelming. The sickly sweet aroma was suffocating, embedding in their lungs and glazing over their skin. With a few more chocked breathes, Haymitch detected a metallic under lacing, reminding him of another battle, and other dead bodies. The nausea increased as the scent stuck to their flesh.

Deep mahogany doors lined the walls, and Katniss could feel the hairs on her arms stand. Not a soul had passed them since the first two Knights at the gate. Her stomach was churning and she felt her nerve endings fire. The only noises were coming from the soft padding of their feet, and within another handful of heartbeats, they were swiftly coming upon the landing to the second underground level.

Johanna stopped them quickly, pressing them to hide in a crevice that evolved between an open door and the red wall behind it. Hastily the group split, crawling into the clefts and hunkering down. Holding his breath, the Hatter watched with wide eyes as a score of guards passed. Their helmets were clutched in hands, swords clinking dangerously as they walked.

The cluster of Red Knights disappeared up the maroon soaked stairs, and the White Queen's group was off again. Katniss watched the doorway with bow raised as they headed towards the third level.

Her feet didn't quite hit the first stair when she heard him. He was wailing and crying, shouting and screaming. Like an animal howling from a cage, painful and heartfelt.

"Annie!" he was yelling himself hoarse, Katniss could just see the way his evergreen eyes would be twisting in pain without her. She wondered how many ceramic cups he had broken in his cell, or if he was in withdrawal from his confection sugar.

"Shut up!" it was a different voice, it made Katniss' arm hair stand on end, and Haymitch faltered for a moment, hand instantly gripping at the hilt on his hip. "You stupid idiot!" They heard skin slamming together and then a sick cracking noise of a skull slapping off of a wall. Katniss looked down and noticed that the trident was burning carmine, eliciting a red glow all around her.

Johanna pointed to Haymitch's chest, then the rest of the stairwell, lipping a sentence that told him to attack the Knight when they went down the stairs. She glared at Peeta next, telling him to back Tweedle Dee up. Then, her brown eyes came to rest on Katniss, hissing quickly that she was to grab Finnick and then get the hell out of there.

The group nodded, and with a final look and hand motion, they silently moved down the stairs. Haymitch peeked around the door, lifting a finger to his lips to warn Finnick to be quiet. But the man's face swirled into happiness with the appearance of his friends and the Red Knight pivoted, glaring and grabbing for his sword.

"Oh, Tweedle Dee." Cato snarled, the sword making a hissing noise as it was released from its sheath. "We meet again."


	11. The Tin Man

Hello. Okay, sorry again that it took so long for this. I don't have a laptop anymore and the desktop computer is killing me slowly. :( But besides this, here is chapter 11. I believe our story will be closing within the next four chapters, and finish with chapter 15. Just so you all know.

Cookies go to anyone who can properly guess who the Larkspur is :3

Thank you all once again for the wonderful reviews and the large amount of alerts and favorites. You guys literally make my day :D

I don't own the Hunger Games or Alice in Wonderland.

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_Tick Tock_

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Haymitch swore as the bulky man lunged for him, their swords chiming as they clashed together. Tweedle Dee's lip curled and brows furrowed as he tried to keep Cato's sword from swinging again. Johanna launched forward, her axe held at an angle and she brought it down to collide with another Red Knight who was running from the other side of the room.

Peeta grabbed Katniss and drug her across the room, pushing her towards the iron cell that Finnick was being kept in. He dodged an incoming sword, swiftly lifting his hammer and smashing the blunt end into the Red Knight's helmet. The metal crumbled in and Katniss immediately saw blood leak down the man's pale face. He fell to the ground in a clatter of armor, as more footsteps came cascading down the stairs. There were voices and the Everdeen's heart sped up, a feeling of hopelessness washing over her.

"Katniss," the man said as the golden hammer's spike embedded into the cell's locking mechanism. "Get Finnick and get the hell out of here." Within moments the iron doors swung and the Hatter pressed Katniss into the opening. "Don't look back, don't hesitate, just get him and get out."

"Hatter," but before she had the chance to continue, he looked at her with hard eyes and then turned, lifting the golden war hammer above his head and bringing its wrath down on another one of the score of Red Knights.

Her fingers clenched around her bow, watching for a second as everyone fought for her, so that she could save Finnick… so that they could save Annie. Haymitch stumbled and fell down to the ground, the Red Knight, Cato, was kicking him in the ribs, his sword held high above his head, as the Gryphon flew over and bashed the man with her axe. Katniss paused another second, long enough to see Tweedle Dee get off of the ground, picking his sword up with a shaking hand.

The Everdeen turned, searching with wide eyes for the crimson haired man. He was lying on the floor, clutching his head with stained fingers.

"Dear, dear girl," he grinned as she reached a hand down to him, which he clasped gratefully. "I was wondering when you all would show." She grappled with all of the weapons and the stumbling man, resituating her bow on the other side, forcing the glowing trident into his bloodied hand. She wrapped his free arm around her shoulders, hauling him closer so that they could try and escape.

"Finnick," she watched quickly, making sure most of the guards were sidetracked by the rest of their group. "Can you stand by yourself?" They started skittering through the room, heading for the large doors once more. He nodded from her peripheral vision. "Keep a lookout, if anyone follows us that isn't with our group, let go of me so I can shoot."

He nodded once more, sea green eyes skimming over the contours of the room and the hallway they just entered. There was another set of footsteps and Katniss cursed, letting go of Finnick and drawing her bow. The girl nocked an arrow and raised the bow, anchoring but Finnick mumbled and she let her bow down easily.

There was a small man shaking in the doorway, his brown eyes were wide, hiding behind large wire glasses that sat unevenly on his nose. His fingers were wrapped in layers of golden wire. His black hair was resting in uneven tufts, he reached up and tried to resituate the spectacles, but they rested just as unevenly when he let them go.

"March Hare," the man said, taking a few steps closer and gazing up at Katniss. "Who is this, what's going on?"

"Larkspur!" Finnick gave a throaty laugh, and even though his head was bleeding, and he was limping, he picked up the boney man and crushed him into a hug. "I didn't think you would get here in time. We're being saved, my friend. I told you they would come for us!"

The Larkspur struggled in the golden man's grasp, and once he was released he pulled at the hem of his shirt. "The White Rabbit was supposed to save me, she said she would come for me."

Katniss bit her lip, an image of the dead woman flashing through her mind. Finnick turned his burning gaze onto her, expecting her to announce that the White Rabbit was waiting outside. But she shook her head weakly, replacing her bow on her shoulder and taking ahold of the man's arm, again tugging it and situating him so that they could move again.

"I'm sorry, Larkspur, but the White Rabbit has been murdered by the Red Queen."

The Odair stumbled at the words, his trident scuffing off the floor. "What do you mean, what happened? Is Annie okay-what about Primrose?"

A lump formed in her throat. "I can't talk about it right now." She pulled him to continue walking but he refused, dragging his feet.

"What about the others?" Finnick looked at the Larkspur, and the Larkspur was staring at Katniss, something was playing behind his eyes, an emotion she couldn't place. "We have to get the others." He glared at her. "We can't leave without them."

More footsteps pounded down the stairs. Katniss nodded. "Larkspur you go get them," she set Finnick up by the wall again. "You," she pointed to the golden man. "Back me up if they get too close," she drew her bow then, and with the clanging metal, she knew the people coming weren't friends.

Men swarmed through the door, swords drawn and she let her arrows fly, the points finding rest in the enemies' flesh. A few fell dead but there were too many and more just kept coming. The Everdeen cursed, noting that Finnick embedded his trident into a Knight that came too close. The Red Knights were pressing in, packing against the two weak soldiers, the smell of roses intensifying when she heard Johanna's war cry. The small blonde burst into Kat's view, throwing her tiny weight behind the huge axe, driving it into someone's shoulder. The injured screamed and the Hatter dove into the archer's vision, blunting another's helmet with bloodlust in his eyes.

The Larkspur used his golden wire and wrapped it around a man's neck, twisting it tighter until the Knight thrashed and then after a painful few minutes, he was dead.

Katniss reached for Finnick again, her other hand clutching the bow, heart racing thrumming in her chest. She pushed past the other members of their small group, pressing as quietly as they could through the stair wells. Trying to avoid any more attention being drawn there way. The girl could hear Peeta's grunts as he attacked more enemies, Johanna's hisses, and Haymitch's shuffling footsteps.

Everything was going fine, the Larkspur was in tow, Finnick was holding his own, the bloodied trident clutched in his hands, when something went wrong. Alice didn't know what. One second they were all together, sprinting through the first floor, heading swiftly towards the large gates, but within moments they were swamped by guards, they threw the Hatter onto the ground, kicked Haymitch until the man was pressed against the plush red carpet.

Katniss and Finnick turned, looking at their group with wide and worried eyes. The girl took a step closer to the downed allies, but Johanna slammed into them, shoving them with all her force. "You keep going," Kat was about to dispute, but a sword nicked her side, causing a clashing sound to come from the opalescent armor. "Get your asses out of here, we'll follow you."

The girl viciously jostled them, the pressure of her war axe on their backs made them move a bit faster. She gave a final knock into their backs and they were through the gate. Katniss turned in time to see the girl turning around and swinging her axe at the offending guards. But a few moments later, the gate slammed shut and Katniss cursed, ready to drop the March Hare's arm to slam against the closed doors.

But he grabbed onto her, taking her shaking cold hand in his warm, golden one. "No," he said softly, tugging on her. For the first time since they were in the dark blood colored building, the girl noticed how much thinner he was, and the bruises that decorated the skin of his exposed arms and face, like medals for actions he didn't commit. "We have to get back to Annie," he pulled a little more gently on her, almost begging with the soft movement. "I have to get back to Annie."

She nodded, and even though her heart broke with the idea of leaving so many of her friends behind, she walked with him. Her sheath was almost empty, two arrows hung forlornly inside, and her jaw clenched, silently promising to come back and save them.

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_**x. o. x. o.**_

.

When they arrived at the White Castle they found Effie standing out front, wringing her slender hands in nervousness. As they walked closer, her face lit and then fell, the white lace dress hit above her knee. "Alice," she said, looking between the ragged pair. "March Hare here, here," she took up the free spot under Finnick's other arm. Taking the trident from his fingers.

She ushered them into the throne room, and Annie immediately stood. A smile captured her soft lips and a flowing silver dress fell like water from her small frame. Even from the distance, the few people standing around could see tears clearly glistening in her green eyes. "What happened?" she asked tenderly, gaze only resting on Finnick.

He tried to bow, but she shook her head. "I-I…" he didn't know where to start.

"We went in and found him," Katniss spoke, still holding the male up. He was weak on his feet, the bruises more prominent as they stood in the stark room. "We collected the Larkspur, but on the way out over a score of Red Knights came at us, a-and…" she struggled, recalling the way the Hatter was thrown against the ground, and Haymitch's blood seeping over the white armor.

"Stop sniveling," the Gryphon strolled into the room in the angry way she walked, boots clicking furiously against the marble. "Tweedle Dee and I are here," she glared at everyone, blood covering a portion of her head. "We fought off those damn Knights, but the Hatter was taken."

Annie's mouth fell into an 'Oh', watching for a reaction, but then she murmured, "Is the Larkspur with you?" The Gryphon nodded, falling down to one knee, with her fist resting against the floor.

"Plutrarch took him to be cleaned and healed, he has a nasty wound on his shoulder. I'm sorry it got so messy back there m'lady. I-I-"

The White Queen shook her head, "You saved him," her smile wavered, watching with blurring eyes. "You saved him and that's what we needed." Her fingers twisted together, nails picking at her milk flesh. "Finnick, come here… please."

His lips were pressed into a firm line, evergreen eyes no longer alight with happiness, something darker swam behind them. The woman mumbled his name again, but he shook his head, red hair brushing the tops of his shoulders, lying messily across his face. "I can't," he whispered, hands running over the exposed skin of his arms. "I can't Annie." Mania twisted through his features, mouth contorting as a scream tried to emerge. But he held it in and simply watched her.

The young queen took a few steps closer, the glittering fabric of her dress trailed behind her, exposing the cream-white skin of long legs.

He took swift steps back away from her, causing her to stop mid-stride. "You don't understand," he said in a voice smaller than a whisper, heart thudding loudly in his ears. "I don't deserve it, I can't come closer."

She watched him with hurt swimming clearly in her features, brows drawn and lips tight. She tried to murmur his name again, but the male shook his head harder, practically glaring at her.

"You don't understand," he repeated, voice breaking as his fingers twitched in the fabric of his shirt. "Sh-she…" he visibly swallowed, wishing with all his might he had a ceramic cup to break, or sugar to throw. Do anything besides stand there and be forced to tell her what he went through. "She kissed me, a-and…" his eyes grew wide, falling and wandering across the white marble floors.

"Snow said if I didn't… he'd kill you. So I let her kiss me. Annie I didn't know what to do..." Tears leaked over his golden cheeks and the woman's petite hands flew to her mouth, she was crumbling in on herself, the silvery pieces of fabric pooled around her.

"Her fingers were…. They were…" a muffled scream escaped from his mouth as his hands came to cover his ears, a move that made Katniss realize how closely the two were connected. "And I brought out my string, b-because I couldn't do it alone, I couldn't… and she _laughed _at me. She asked if I needed rope instead of a string… she said it would be better for her… b-better for me. She said she liked to play games. And I… I didn't. Annie I don't…" he was shaking and trembling. "She _cut_ it, she _cut_ my string. It was all I had left… I don't have anything left. And they made me, they **made** me Annie, I didn't want to." His voice grew hoarse, screaming the words into the air without directing them at anyone. He was crumbling too, the golden man nothing but a shattered tea pot.

"Finnick," the Queen spoke softly to him, but he shook harder, wrinkles marring his skin as he frowned, "March Hare-"

"Finnick," Katniss said, stalking closer to him, the tattered remains of her dress were clutched in her hands "Look." It took him a moment, to let go of his head and turn his eyes just a fraction. But he did, and his breath caught.

"What is it?" He mumbled gently, tears tarnishing his cheeks, fingers coming up to touch the ripped seams and Peeta's blood stains.

There was dirt embedded in the strands of fabric, causing the normally powder blue to look dirty and grimy. The cloth wasn't soft anymore, but was worn through in some areas, threads barely holding it together. Pieces of twigs stuck to it, along with grass and a few specks of splattered pastries. It was a mess that almost wasn't recognizable.

"It's my dress," Katniss murmured, feeling tears pull at her eyes. "It's the one I wore when I fell down the hole, it used to be my mother's." she sniffed a little and wiped at her cheeks. "They took everything away from me too, Finnick. My dress is ruined, my sister has been killed, and now I'm not even me anymore." He watched her with understanding, a far part of his mind was trying to wrap around the idea that she had nothing. "They've taken everything, but they can't take our memories. Snow can burn our clothes and cut our string and murder our friends and family, but he can't take our memories. We will always remember them."

Somewhere inside him the words seemed to click because he reached out with large arms and pulled her tight against his chest. For some reason he smelled like the ocean. Katniss' father had taken her once when she was little, and it was the March Hare's scent. As if his skin had been imbued with salt and clean water, she could practically feel the sand between her toes as he crushed her closer. It mixed with the aroma of sugar and tea that seemed to waft around him as well. It was odd, and completely different than the scent of madness that Peeta carried, and Katniss felt her heart give an odd tug at the thought of the Hatter.

Finnick released her, smiling for the first time as he kissed her forehead. "Thank you Alice." He picked up her hand and led her across the room, depositing her and her ratty dress into Haymitch's hands. He grinned once more, "I forget I'm not alone."

Then, without another scream or panic attack, he turned and raced back to Annie, scooping her from her crumpled position on the floor and twirling her in his arms. The gold of his skin complimented the cream of the woman's as he pulled her closer.

Annie's thin arms came up and wrapped around his neck as they pressed together. All of their curves and fissures fit together with gentle precision as he buried his face at the junction under her jaw while her hands found their home in his scarlet hair. The small crowd heard the woman giggle in happiness, her understanding palpable in the air.

They could see him mumbling to her, and she just smiled. Katniss felt herself blush at the blatant show of affection, and she turned to Haymitch, who was holding Effie's hand beside her. She tried to signal for them to leave, that the scene in front of them made her uncomfortable, but he ignored her.

"I wish you were closer to my heart," Finnick whispered, "That I could swallow you and you could live inside it, so I'll always know you're safe with me."

He felt warmth seep into his skin, and it seemed to wash away the feeling of the other hands that had been on his flesh. "I already do." She mumbled back, fingers knitting into the crimson strands.

The smile that captured his face was brighter than the sun and he met her soft lips instantly, feeling his body lighten with the contact. He felt the world sharpen again; the horrible things he went through began to fade from his mind the longer she was in his arms. And he realized, for what seemed like the millionth time, that Annie really was the only one who kept him sane.


	12. To Fulfill a Wish

Woot! Okay so I've finished up to chapter 14, and am currently working on 15. Which means the whole thing is almost complete.

Thank you all so much for the reviews, alerts, and favorites. I love you guys, seriously. :)

I don't own the Hunger Games nor Alice in Wonderland.

* * *

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_Tick Tock_

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"Katniss," Effie's delicate voice wafted down the hall later that day. The sun was shining, casting the white halls with orange shadows that played together as clouds floated along in the sky. The Everdeen turned, looking at the thin pink haired woman. She appeared older than she had the first day they met. Her hair seemed to grow limp with every passing hour, the lines around her eyes became more prominent, and the younger woman wondered if Haymitch's danger was causing as much inward turmoil as Peeta's danger was causing her.

"Tweedle Dum," Alice the Mockingjay turned and waited as the woman walked closer in her golden slippers. The Hatter's patchwork hat was clutched in delicate hands, her slender fingers picking at the brim. "Wh-what is that?"

She knew what it was; of course, there was no one else in all of Underland that would wear such an outlandish cap. But the fuchsia haired woman gave a broken smile and lifted the hat up, letting Katniss finger the edges before taking it fully into her hands.

"It's Peeta's hat." Effie's eyes fell, tears pulling at the corners and eventually leaking over her cheeks. "Johanna said to give it to you. They couldn't get to him to save him. She said they hauled him off before any of them even had a chance to try. I-I guess it was laying on the ground and Haymitch grabbed it before they ran." She sniffed and wiped under her nose. "He would've wanted you to have it."

_Would've._

Immediately Katniss glared at the woman, the tears that had been pulling behind her eyelids started to burn. "No." she hissed and pushed Effie away when she tried to hug her. "No, Peeta's not gone, we're going to save him."

"Kat-"

"No." The young woman repeated, stones forming in her stomach at the thought of him in the hands of Snow. The innocence being forced out of him like it was from Finnick. "He's been captured, that's not dead."

"Might as well be." It was the Gryphon's voice, and the Mockingjay felt irritation flare back up. "We barely got the March Hare out of there alive, how do you suppose we host another rescue party for someone who doesn't matter as much?"

"Johanna-" Effie whispered, taking a step closer to the short haired blonde. But the angry brown eyes pivoted to her and she stopped before she really started.

"Don't _Johanna _me, Tweedle Dum. You know as much as I do. No one ever gets rescued from the Red Castle. Finnick and the Larkspur were lucky, as were we for even getting out."

"Then why am I even here?" Katniss screamed, striding confidently and glaring at the Gryphon. "Why should we even try to fight them?"

The white of the walls seemed to close in on her, and suddenly her blood didn't freeze, it boiled and almost popped from her veins. Katniss almost wished it would, so it would stain the damn walls and coat the floor in its scarlet. Trash the innocence of the White Castle and force them all to realize they needed the Hatter more than anyone.

"We will fight them and kill them, but not in time to save the Hatter." Kat screamed again, but Johanna continued. "We cannot risk upsetting Annie and killing our troops before the real battle has begun. She is much more important, and Peeta would be the first to tell you so."

"What has she done to make all of you bend over backwards for her? Why would anyone sit and rot in a cell somewhere, be left alone to be tortured and killed willingly for a Queen that won't risk anything for them, who would only risk _their_ lives to save her love?"

Johanna's hand shot out and struck the side of the Mockinjay's face before another word could fall from her mouth.

"You have no idea what Annie has given up and done for us, so don't talk like you're a child, _Alice the Mockingjay_." There was a hardness in her brown eyes that Katniss had never seen before. A hardness that only comes when someone has experienced and seen far too much. "Back in my world, I was addicted to a drug called morphling. My family abandoned me, I was saved by a man named Cray. He sold me so that he would have enough morphling to sustain both of us. One night when I found out he kept my half; I attacked him and killed him. I took all of it that night and almost overdosed. I fell down a hole and landed here, in _Underland._ Annie found me half dead, and nursed me back to health with her magic and compassion. Don't tell me that she doesn't do anything for us. Annie has done more for me than anyone I've ever known."

Effie took careful steps away from the other women, who were stuck in a glaring match that rivaled a war. "We're going to save Peeta." The eighteen year old spoke with poison, in a way that would end the conversation without any further discussion. But the Gryphon had a different path in mind.

"Do you think this has been easy on Annie? She's fragile as it is, she barely survived being away from Finnick this long, if we propose another battle so soon, she'll break. She lost her mother when she was young, she's been fighting a war for most of her life. She's almost lost the only person she has and she just got him back. This is not the time for a rescue mission."

"She's not the only one who has been affected!" Katniss yelled, angry at the turn of events, that this stupid woman would fight her for so long just to protect a queen that shouldn't be in charge. "Do you think Peeta wanted to be kidnapped, do you think I wanted to lose Prim? Hell, do you think I'm _honored_ to be the goddamn Mockingjay? What a joke!"

Brown eyes turned to slits. "The Queen-"

"No," Kat hissed, she knew there would be a mark on her face where Johanna had hit her. Her skin was stinging and her flesh felt hot. "I don't care what Annie has done, I don't care that she saved you from an addiction or rescued Finnick from the Hunger Games. Peeta doesn't deserve to be tortured and kept in the Red King's Castle. He doesn't deserve this."

The Gryphon blew a breath in frustration, her bangs waving some with the self-made breeze. "I never said he deserved it. He's loyal and kind, but he's withdrawn. He hasn't ever connected with any of us. He's always there, leading the Never-ending Tea Party, making plans, finding Absolem and helping us whenever we need it. But we don't know him. He would be the first to tell you to let him go, that no one will miss him. He has no family, he has no ties. If anyone could have been captured on that mission, we were lucky it was just him. He wouldn't want us to put the White Queen's sanity on the line to save him, I promise you that's what he would say."

The Mockingjay bristled, skin going taunt over her muscles, fingers itching for a bow and arrow. One arrow, just one was all she needed. She would shoot it into Johanna's eye, a clean shot that would kill her easily.

"I'm not Peeta, that's not what I'm saying." She spit the words out. "I lost my father, I lost my sister, everyone in my hometown thinks I'm insane, because I believed in this hellhole. I could lose my life, and you're all trying to make me into this damn Mockingjay, without my consent, without my input. I'll be damned if I lose the Hatter too." Johanna went to open her mouth, but Katniss cut her off, fingers spinning the hat like crazy. "If you want Alice the Mockingjay to fight for you, then you better be sure to create a rescue mission. Because I'll be happy to send the whole of Underland to Hell to save him."

She pivoted on her heel, hands shifting the hat and placing it on the crown of her head. It was a little too big, coming to rest on her eyebrows, but the girl didn't care. She began to stalk off but stopped when Johanna's voice rang through the halls.

"You'll abandon us for your own happiness?"

The girl shook her head, "No, for him. I have a debt to pay to him." She bit the inside of her cheek until she tasted the metallic lacing of blood coating her tongue. "He's the only one who keeps me sane."

She continued then, walking away from the dumbstruck woman, to where she wasn't sure. But there was a closest that was calling to her. The Gryphon knew what she had to do, but it took a handful of minutes after Katniss disappeared from view to unglue her feet from the ground. She smiled a little as she went through the corridors, searching for the Throne Room, where she found Annie clutching Finnick's hand, speaking to the gathering of council members.

They all fell to silence with the blonde's presence, and the grin on her lips widened to capture her whole face. "Real Alice is here at last," and a cheer came up from the gathered.

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_**x. o. x. o.**_

.

No one found her for hours; the closest was once again her sanctuary from their questioning, pity-filled eyes. Effie called down the halls for her, Cinna yelled that he needed to fix her hair, and Buttercup mewed pathetically for an hour. It made her heart hurt knowing that he wouldn't be the same without her baby sister.

Little by little, her blood cooled once more. The boiling left a sour taste in her mouth and she wanted nothing more than to try one of Peeta's cupcakes. She had been too pompous to try them when she had the chance, and now that he was gone she didn't know if the opportunity would ever come up again. The red inside of her started to freeze again, and she damned the day she fell down the hole.

But as she felt the velvet of the Hatter's hat between her fingers, she knew she didn't actually hate that day. It brought her him, and that was really something to be thankful for. But then she would remember he wasn't with her, and the heat of his body could be gone for good. It caused whimpers to collide in her throat and come out strangled, pathetic noises that lead Haymitch to discover her hiding place.

He opened the door, the bright light from the hall blinding her as he stared with grey eyes. "Sweetheart," his brows furrowed and he held out his flask to her but she refused. "You have to come out of there sometime." He noted the way she was wrapped in the fabrics, and that the patchwork hat was clutched in her hands. "It's been twelve hours, and there's news you must hear."

She shook her head weakly, crying out as he grabbed her waist and pulled her from the menagerie of clothes. His chest was firm as he carried her from her makeshift nest, making sure that the hat was still in her fingertips before he started to move down the corridor. "Haymitch, I don't want to know what they've decided. They'll leave him for dead… I can't… I can't bear it." One hand let go of the cap, coming to knot in the man's shirt, fisting the material. "I feel like… like I'm lost without him. I don't have a chance if he isn't with me. My mind just keeps running circles and nothing helps. I can't concentrate, I can't function. I'm a mess."

Tears started to leak from her pepper orbs and soaked into the male's shirt. He shushed her, and told her he understood. His body ached from the fight with the Red Knights, and the girl's weight wasn't helping. But he understood that she required some sort of rock while her foundation was missing, and he was willing to do that for her. Because he understood, Effie filled that need in him.

.

_**x. o. x. o.**_

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Katniss was slouching in front of the council, her hand wrapped protectively in Haymitch's. Effie was in the crowd that was gathered, watching with wide eyes as the Gryphon read out a long list of things. Rattling off ideas about the Red Castle's Gate, where they keep prisoners, and how often the Red King kills.

Alice wasn't really listening; her mind was elsewhere, the hat sat on the table in front of her, alongside a cup of tea. She had refused to put sugar in it. Her sister's golden watch rested in her free hand, cool against her frozen palm. She couldn't stop looking at it, eyes flicking between the gold and patchwork. She wondered what would happen if Peeta died, what would happen to his watch, if it would be given to her. If that was even allowed, was a person permitted to carry two watches? When they were from two people they had loved?

"Alice the Mockingjay," it was Plutrarch the Mock Turtle speaking now, his eyes turning to observe her carefully. Katniss looked up, trying to hide her surprise; Tweedle Dee gave her hand a squeeze.

"Yes?" She replied. Her voice wavered and broke with the single syllabled word. She was shocked to hear how weak she sounded. Like a broken doll, or a bird with clipped wings.

He examined her evenly, searching for something she couldn't see. Her dove eyes swirled with clouds as he studied her. He nodded once he found whatever it was, and his voice was cautious as he spoke. "The council has decided… that the Mockingjay is correct." He turned to look at Annie, whose mouth fell open. The March Hare was gripping her hand tightly, trying to share the little strength he had left.

"We will find and save the Hatter, but we will start the invasion at that point to."

"No," the White Queen stood. "We ca-"

But the council slammed a hammer onto the glass table, splintering the crystal-like substance, silencing the unstable woman. "We have decided," Plutrarch continued, steepling his fingers under his chin, elbows resting on the glass. "That Katniss is correct," the girl's ears perked and she sat up a little straighter. "We will go and save the Hatter, but we will invade and kill the Red King too."

Other's started to speak, and a riot almost started. Voices mixed together in a cacophony, causing a headache to blossom behind Kat's eyes. It grated on Annie's nerves and Finnick's hand came up to press into his head, attempting in vain to block out the noise.

"He will not expect another rescue mission; we've never tried this close together, so he won't anticipate it. And an enemy that doesn't expect you is an enemy who is lost."

Alice's eyes darted to the Gryphon's, who was staring at her with something like understanding in her face. Katniss nodded once as the council started to disband, the group gathered behind them started to dissipate too. The patchwork hat was placed back onto Katniss' brunette head, a determined glint captured her face and she let go of Haymitch's hand, stalking away from the room and towards the weaponry.

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_**x. o. x. o.**_

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Arrows embedded themselves in the bullseye somewhere in the castle as Finnick pulled Annie nearer. There were tears streaking along her cheeks, moonlight cascaded through the large windows, casting her pale face in porcelain.

"Annie," the male murmured, drawing her closer to his chest. He couldn't stand it when she cried. It made his mind melt and his heart break. She wasn't ever supposed to cry when he was with her. "I have to go, you know that."

He knew she did, but she shook her head none the less. "I don't want you to leave," she whimpered, lacing her arms tighter around his neck. "I go crazy without you; please just stay with me."

"Always," he mumbled as he placed a kiss on her temple, and then on her forehead. "But you know I have to go." she sobbed again and the sound made his stomach flip flop. "Peeta risked his life for me, and if we're making a team to save him, I have to go. He bet his life for me, so I'll bet mine for his."

"You make it sound so innocent, Finnick. You'd do better to giftwrap yourself and walk right into Snow's hands. What if we lose again, what if you're captured?" she felt mania rising and she started to shake, skin prickling into gooseflesh. His larger golden hands ran up and down her arms, trying to put heat back into her body. "I can't handle that again, Finnick. I can't, it almost killed me the first time."

He nodded, "I know, it kills me too." He felt grounded with her clutched in his arms, and he again wished he could swallow her whole and keep her safe in his heart. "From what I've seen in Alice's eyes, that's how she feels about the Hatter. I don't want to put her through that, this world…" His voice trailed off, eyes tracing around the vaulted white ceilings, fingers twisting through the brown strands of her hair, lulling her into a sense of security. The scent of the ocean sticking to his skin always calmed her. "This world makes people crazy, and the only way to survive when you're a lunatic is to find the person who's just as insane."

Somehow his lips found hers, and he wiped the saltwater from her face with his mouth. Warm and golden against her cold silver.

"Finnick," she mumbled, something in her core dropped and she wished he was closer. "I'm insane." Her fingers felt different than the others' had. Annie's felt right and sweet. Real life sugar against his skin.

"I know, Annie…" he kissed her again. "You keep me sane."

They were silent a few moments, nothing but the soft sounds of their lips and the girl's uneven breathing. "I want… Finnick I want you closer."

He paused, breath fanning over her face, sea green eyes filled with worry until she pulled him closer. And then, without another word, he fulfilled her wish.


	13. Clipped Wings

Yay! Okay, so I love you guys, really, seriously, honestly, I love you. I've never had a story go this far before, I mean I'm up to 100 reviews, which is completely amazing. I never thought this story would make it this far, so thank you, thank you, thank you. I can't say it enough.

I love the reviews, the alerts, and the favorites. I never, ever thought anything I wrote would bring on such a response, so thank you :)

Okay, enough. Here's your present, chapter 13.

I don't own the Hunger Games or Alice in Wonderland.

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_Tick Tock_

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She was still practicing almost a week later. The bow was anchored beneath her chin, fingers seamlessly releasing the bowstring, rewarded with the cracking sound of another arrow's shaft being split. Katniss had landed another bullseye easily. Her hair was sticking to her forehead; braid an uneven mess, laying along her spine in an awkward bundle.

"Katniss," She turned at the call of her name. The man who spoke it was as skinny and shattered looking as he sounded. His brown eyes were covered by large spectacles that refused to sit evenly on his nose. His skin was ashen and sallow across his cheeks, but the light in his eyes sparkled as his thin hand held out a new sheath of arrows. They were divided into three different sections, the nocks were color coded. Red, white, and the usual gold. Her grey eyes skimmed over them, noticing the differences in thickness and length.

"Larkspur," she spoke softly, resituating her grip on the handle of her weapon. He smiled at her, his black hair resting in clumps on his head. "What do you need?"

He laughed a little, nudging her with the arrows before she finally took the sheath into her hands. "I don't need anything, I come bearing gifts." He grinned afterwards; a few of his teeth were missing. "I created these special arrows for you, for the battle tomorrow."

The girl felt one of her eyebrows inch higher on her forehead. "What does _special _mean?"

His smile widened with that, and he stepped closer, as if he had been waiting for her to ask that question ever since he curiously stepped into the weaponry. "Take out a red one."

The girl obeyed and placed it on her bow, and with his instruction, she lifted it to her anchor point and after breathing, fired it into the practice dummy. Sixty yards away, the point of the arrow found its home in the dummy's heart, but instead of remaining stationary, it exploded.

Pieces of fabric and thick layers of blue bark blasted away from the impact zone. They caught fire and flung through the air all the while spewing black smoke. Katniss' eyes widened and she turned to look at the Larkspur with a scream edging in her voice.

"What the hell was that?" She almost yelled at him, her heart was ramming against her ribs and fingers twitched against the mahogany wood of her weapon.

"That, dear Alice, was the detonating arrow I recently finished." His brown eyes inspected her, lips quirking slightly. "I find they may be useful for your battle." Katniss didn't know how to respond, so instead she just nodded, blinking a few times. "Now, put on these," He handed her a pair of goggles. Obeying, she placed them over her eyes, and immediately her world was cast with a green tint. "And grab a white tipped arrow."

She sent the indicated projectile flying towards the desecrated practice dummy. Instead of exploding, this one sent out a brilliant, pure white light. It hurt her eyes even with the goggles on, but instead of being left blind, she could see. The Larkspur, though, only saw swimming black dots and dark shadows.

"That," he chuckled a little, stumbling slightly as he turned to try and locate her with his disabled sight. "Will also be useful."

"What about the others, won't they be blinded?" she asked softly, wondering what the other type of arrow would do.

The man nodded vigorously, raven hair flipping. "Yes, they will be blinded if they look directly at it. However, I expect you will only use these… in certain circumstances."

She waited for him to elaborate, but like everything else in Underland that made no sense, he refused to explain. Instead he simply grabbed a golden arrow and poked his pointer finger with it; the sharp tip caused blood to prick from his skin.

"These ones are normal, deadly sharp but normal." He sighed a little before looking up at her. "What do you think, Mockingjay, do they suit you?"

The use of her Peeta-given name made her heart enter her throat, and she had to fight down a bout of tears that tugged at the corners of her eyes. "Yes," she looked at the weaponry. "Yes, I think they'll be fine. Thank you."

That seemed to be all he came for, because after her thanks he turned to leave.

"Larkspur," the girl's brows were furrowed, still looking at his gifts. "I was told Underland has no technology, why are there exploding and blinding arrows?"

He laughed again, and it made her heart fall back into her chest. It was warm and deep in his throat, it still sounded weak, and timid, but it calmed her. He seemed to have suspected this question, and after attempting to fix his glasses, which fell just as crookedly as before, he said: "A handful of herbs, some gases caught in a tiny container, and the White Queen's magic don't really account for technology, my dear. But, if that's all it takes in the world you come from, then yes. We have great technology here."

He appeared to wait for another minute, for any other questions that popped into her head.

Katniss bit her lip. "Who are you, Larkspur, why are you here in Underland?"

The man smiled at that, his hands folding and covering his thin chest. "I was married to the White Rabbit, and she kept me quite sane. But in the last war, when Colton Everdeen was here, I was captured by the Red King and told to examine new ways to create Mutts." He watched her evenly, causing the small hairs on her arms to rise. "Ms. Everdeen, it was foretold that Colton would father Real Alice. He was allowed to return home for that very reason. He was a great man, feared no one. You remind me very much of him."

He rested his hand on her shoulder, and with a pat he turned and took steps away from her. But with another thought, he pivoted. "And call me Beetee. I never liked Larkspur as my name. It's quite poisonous, you know… at least where I come from."

With that, he left, leaving her with the gift of arrows, and information of her father.

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_**x. o. x. o.**_

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She was in front of the Red Castle again, and her stomach was already tying itself in knots. Her bow was clutched in a white knuckled fist, braid fixed and laying calmly down the length of her opalescent armor. It was causing her to sweat, making her palm slick, which meant she was worried that she would drop her bow, or an arrow, it caused her mind to panic about it, which lead to more sweating.

There was an army gathered somewhere behind her. Her friends were in its midst, Haymitch brandishing her father's old sword, Johanna hissing with her battle axe, even Beetee was in the clutch of people, lengths of golden wire hanging from his belt along with a morning star in his knobby fingers. Finnick was standing beside her, his trident flashing in the waning orange light. His crimson hair seemed to dull as they came closer to the disgusting red gleam of the Red Castle.

It was his duty to save Peeta. Run through the halls and find the Hatter, then haul ass out.

Katniss' responsibility was to find Snow and murder him. However, she held her own intentions, and they were to save Peeta first.

They weren't trying to hide this time, instead of cowering behind the long strands of grasses outside the Gate, the army simply walked up. A few warriors were riding horses, but most were on foot, a pounding from their steps echoed and almost made its own melody.

Alice got to the Gate first, nocking two different golden tipped arrows and taking down the pair of Red Knights who were meant to protect it. Within moments there were yells and screams from within the huge, blood shaded walls as the White Army drew closer.

White Knights banded together and pressed against the giant gates. A horrible grinding sound emitted from the bottom of the gate, spikes stuck out, grating against the rock and dirt that lay beneath as the army forced their way into the courtyard.

Hurrying to make it inside before the rest of the army, Katniss let a white tipped arrow loose into a crowd of Red Knights, shock colored their faces briefly before confusion and blindness stole over them. Chaos broke across the enclosure, men were scattering across the entire area as they blindly drew their swords, aiming at an enemy they couldn't see. The pattering of multiple feet rained through the clearing as the White Knights burst through the Gates. Their own weapons were held tightly in pale fingers.

Clanging and banging ensued, armor grated against armor as the warriors clashed with one another. Alice's dove eyes widened and wished that she had wings that weren't clipped. Her heart was thudding unevenly as her feet carried her through the crowd. A few blinded soldiers took aim at her, but her sharp arrows were embedded in their eyes before they really had the chance to try.

Finnick let out a short whistle as she sent another Red Knight careening to the ground. Her gaze turned on him, and he raised his hands.

"You really want him back don't you?"

She didn't grace him with an answer, instead diving deeper into the throng of Red Knights. Vaguely she heard Johanna's war cry and the tell-tale sign of a death that came with the ringing of her axe's blade. Katniss hoped that Haymitch would be fine, wondering what Effie would do without the difficult man with her.

Along with the thought of the pink haired woman, Alice thought of the White Queen and irritation immediately took her. What royalty would risk everything only for herself?

The girl pulled a short sword from the armor encasing her calf, taking it and slashing at troops closing in on her. Finnick was thrashing a small man with his trident, the tips easily ripping through the armor covering his chest. Blood spattered, and moans sounded from the fallen. The Everdeen girl let a curse fall from her mouth as she saw a few of their soldiers collapse to the ground. It made her blood boil again and she hurled herself at another enemy. His blood burst from his skin, helmet clattering to the ground, like a bell peeling in the din, as her sword cut into his face.

She snarled at his lame attempts to beg for mercy before her blade ended his life.

With her jaw set and bow held at an angle, she carried herself gracefully through the crowd. After more Red Knights fell by her hand, it seemed the enemy tried everything to avoid her. Even with the bright white of her armor standing out against the flood of red, the enemy cast their eyes in any different direction, ignoring her presence as she stepped past. She wondered about this for a few moments, but it was washed away when she suddenly saw a glint of harsh grey hair that sat like sleet on someone's armor.

A grunt escaped her throat without consent as she kicked up her pace.

She followed the woman through a wide doorway, watching and breathing heavily as the light footed Dormouse took quick steps up a series of stairs.

"Bitch!" Katniss screamed, nocking an arrow and launching it without properly hitting her anchor point. The thing whizzed by the traitor and the Everdeen cursed again. "Come back here and face me!"

There was a mad cackle that rang down the stairway, it ricocheted off the blood red walls and soaked into the squishy scarlet carpet. "Poor Alice, poor mad Alice." Coin screeched, turning on her tiptoes to laugh. "You think you can storm my King's Castle, with a handful of warriors, mismatched soldiers, under the flag of the White Queen who can't hold herself together? What a pitiful excuse for a kingdom, I don't know why my dear husband wants to keep such peasants around."

The younger woman hissed, letting another arrow fly and miss. "Come and fight me!"

"Poor whittle Alice," the Red Queen chortled before taking a few steps and launching herself down a small flight of stairs, landing directly in front of Alice. "Do you think I'm scared of you? With a bow you can barely lift and arrows our Larkspur created?" the woman laughed again. "Pathetic, dear Alice. Quite pathetic, we expected more from you. I mean you can't even shoot an arrow correctly."

Katniss' eyes narrowed and she felt her heart hammering in her chest. "Don't count me out yet."

In a flurry of movements Alice had tackled the Dormouse to the ground, their armor scathing and hissing. Kat's braid fell over her shoulder as she glared daggers into the Red Queen. "You don't know anything, they trusted you, and needed you. And you betrayed them!"

The grin that captured Coin's face made Alice cringe, skin tingling in anger and irritation where they were in contact. "I betrayed no one, I've only ever been loyal to my King." Spit was flung from her thin lips arching and hitting Katniss' face. The warm saliva marked a trail down her olive skin. With brows lowered, eyes cast in slits, and mouth contorted, Alice took out her knife and pressed it against the Dormouse's pale face.

"D-"

"Katniss!" It was Finnick, the girl looked up quickly and saw the golden man, bloodied and battered, his trident clutched in a weak hand. "We have to get out of here, he's let out the Mutts." His eyes seemed to widened when he noticed the trail of blood that leaked down Coin's sallow cheek. "Kat, come on." He held out a hand, brows furrowed, pleading with her to abandon whatever had taken ahold of her.

She looked down at Coin for a moment, knife held in white knuckles.

"Leave her, Alice." It seemed she was still deciding. Her shoulders were shaking and there was nausea swimming in her stomach. "Katniss please, what would Primrose do?"

The girl's heart stopped at the mention of her delicate sister's name. The Red Queen smiled. "Yes," she croaked. "What would our _dear Primrose _do?" another cackle peeled from her throat, and without another second of hesitation, Alice let the blade carve into Coin's neck.

She was rewarded with a beautiful gurgling sound, and with another second's worth of artistry the word _Mockingjay_ stood out bloody crimson against the pale white surface. And Katniss knew as she stood, replacing her short sword into the sheath on her calf and grinning wickedly at her handiwork, that if Peeta had been there, he would have understood the gorgeousness of the act.

She glanced over at Finnick, who had lost most of his golden luster. His hands hung uselessly by his side, green eyes larger than the moon. There was a short moment of relative silence as he swallowed, the only sounds came from the screams out in the clearing.

"Well?" Katniss questioned, irritation lacing her voice.

"I don't think Prim would have slit her throat."

The girl glared. "I don't know if you realized it, but I'm not Primrose. I'm not your damned Queen either. So let's go."

She began to stalk towards the door, but within moments, it was thrown open, a score of animals burst in.

Except they really weren't animals.

The girl felt herself gag as the smell of death permeated the air. The sweet scent of roses came along, warring its own battle with the rot. The not-animals were wild eyed, vivid colored irises swung around, taking in the scene in such a human-like manner that Katniss wondered if the beasts had started out human to begin with.

They snarled at her, and she felt herself snarl back, the hairs on the back of her neck bristled along with the Mutts' wire fur. Their hackles rose and a handful of them came barreling towards her.

With barely a moment to think, her fingertips came in quick contact with a red tipped arrow, nocking it and anchoring it as quickly as possible. She felt her heart give a start as one of the beasts slammed into Finnick, knocking him over as his trident pierced its hide. It howled and the blood curdled in her veins.

The projectile launched and soared through the air, coming in contact with stiff wire fur, and after another sporadic heartbeat, it exploded.

Bits of Mutt flesh soared through the air, a terrible smell of burning skin and hair tinged the atmosphere inside the building and the girl's gag reflex activated once more. While she tried to avoid sickness and wiping her eyes that were now burning, a Mutt was tearing at her arm.

Its teeth were sharper than razors and she heard a shriek. It was painful and loud, drowning out whatever power she had to defend herself, and it took everything inside of herself _not _to scream at that dumb bitch. But then, after another few moments of hearing the screams and trying to muddle through her own screwed up thoughts, she realized the terrible noises were exiting her own throat.

The beast was gnawing, and it seemed to have brought friends because another was snuffling closer. Roses filled her senses and she knew all over again that she would never be able to look at the flower again.

Blood was pouring over the opalescent armor, and a faraway thought wondered if Peeta would have liked the distinct difference between the drastic colors. With the idea of him floating in her mind, she shriveled into herself and whimpered, he wouldn't be saved. Not if she was being eaten alive, not if Finnick was being torn apart.

A laugh jumped from her chest, at what she couldn't say, but the pain started to ebb away, and she just felt light. Like a feather, and she wondered if this was how Underland healed broken birds.


	14. Supernovas and Stardust

Ah. Okay I'm sorry for the lateness of this chapter! Chapter 15 has been giving me some trouble but I do believe I've cracked it. One more stretch to go everyone! :)

I want to thank you all again. For the reviews, favorites, and alerts. And for the simple fact that you took the time to read this.

I don't own the Hunger Games or Alice in Wonderland.

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_Tick Tock_

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"Damn it Katniss, wake up!"

It felt like there were boulders resting on her chest, the effort it took to breath seemed like it cost more than it was worth. Her throat was dry and cracked, blood caked along her arms and even into her hair. One of her eyes was crusted over with the disgusting red, and there was a pounding in her head. She was ushered by the voice to sit up, and she obeyed, but confusion swam through her muddled mind when all she saw was crimson.

But after another few moments of deciphering, she realized the bloody thing she was looking at was Finnick. He was coated with red too. It plastered his red hair and caused his green eyes to become even more vivid.

He searched her face for a few moments before gently tugging at her arm. "We have to get the hell out of here." He pulled her to her feet and immediately a bout of nausea hit her and she had to stop to retch. She felt shaky, vision refusing to cooperate entirely. Things kept swimming and it didn't help that everything she was seeing was a different shade of red.

Finnick was firm as he led her from the room. His trident was in his hand, and vaguely she realized her bow was slung over his neck, dangling awkwardly from his back. He was warm too, and that was making her sleepy, and the exhaustion was making her stumble.

"Alice a few more steps," he promised, but by the edge of his voice she knew there would be more than a few required.

"But I'm tired Finnick," she stumbled again and almost brought both of them tumbling to the ground. "I told you,' she muttered, eyelids drooping. "I can't do this. Just leave me here, Snow will deal with me."

"Alice, no. Katniss, listen." His voice was frantic and she barely noticed the way his eyes kept darting around the clearing. They were slinking along one of the back walls, attempting to blend in with the bright blush of blood. "The Hatter, think about the Hatter."

"H-hatter?" she whimpered. A flash of blue crossed her vision, quick as lightning.

She could feel him nodding frantically, the longer strands of his hair grazed across her shoulder. "Yes, yes the Hatter. Peeta, dear Peeta. You remember him right? The pompous idiot who tried to feed Prim tea cakes. He doesn't take sugar in his tea; h-he's a painter. He was in love with Rue."

He heard the girl give a moan at the memory of him being in love with someone else, and she slipped in his slick arms, almost falling to the ground.

But Finnick heaved her closer, grabbing onto her urgently. "_Listen to me!_" he tugged on her, feeling desperation blossom in his chest. "He was in love with Rue. _Was. _But Rue is dead, and you-" he heaved her again as she sank farther away. "Alice, you're still alive."

_Still Alive._

Her mind bit into the words, as if she had been starving for them. They were like a lifeline she needed to hear since she fell down the godforsaken hole. What had Peeta said? That if you're experiencing something, it's real. That if you're _alive_ and _feeling_ it, then hell, it was real.

**Peeta.**

Her head cleared with the thought of his ice and lightning blue eyes, and his curling blond hair. And the damn patchwork hat he refused to let go of.

She nodded weakly at first, a new feeling of strength over coming her. "Where are the others?" she mumbled, trying to regain her feet completely.

The male beside her was about to speak, but the sickly sweet scent wafted through the air again, and Katniss could feel her nose burning. She stopped in her tracks, pivoting and glancing up at a balcony.

There, held safely in by a red, wrought iron handrail, the Red King stood. His snow-white hair was pulled back in a low pony tail, exemplifying the size of his lips which seemed to pull across his entire face. They were cherry colored and pulling up into a smirk at the sight of Katniss.

"My dear Mockingjay," he called from his heightened advantage. He was grinning full on, a white rose was pinned to his lapel, and for a moment the girl wondered why he had white roses when Annie's garden grew only red ones. "Of what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?"

"Where is he?" The girl hissed, letting go of Finnick and drawing her strength to stand on her own. She took a few uneasy steps towards the King, her face twisting, a grimace capturing her lips as her brows knitted low over her eyes. "Tell me where Peeta is."

"On a first name basis with the Mad Hatter are we?" the girl screamed at the statement as the man started to laugh. He lifted a paper-white handkerchief to his mouth as strangled, choking laughs escaped him. They caused his small frame to vibrate.

"Tell me, or I'll kill you right now!"

She vaguely heard more snarling from Mutts, but she pushed it from her mind. A few White Knights limped into view, wielding their weapons in tired hands. She pivoted and hurriedly grabbed her bow from around Finnick's neck, she reached for any arrow, grabbing whichever came to hand first and nocking it.

"I'll do it. I'll kill you."

"My dear, dear Alice. I don't doubt it." He grinned and she noted that when he pulled the piece of fabric away from his mouth, there were splotches of red staining it. "But you're Mad Hatter is right over there." A small, stumpy finger pointed to the man's left, however the girl refused to look.

It wouldn't be that simple.

"Don't lie to me," she seethed, losing the arrow which found home in the wall beside the Red King. It flashed brilliant white and everyone was momentarily blinded.

"Dear Alice the Mockingjay, poor girl. I make it my personal goal to never lie to my enemies." The girl's brows furrowed and she bit the inside of her cheek, tasting metal lacing her saliva. The man grinned wickedly, and she barely saw it from her dotted vision. Her goggles were lost somewhere in the Red Castle's rubble. "I find it much more enjoyable to have them believe I'm lying. You get to see them lose hope much easier when they realize their enemy is truthful. It just washes away, like a stain no one ever wanted." He laughed again, blood leaking over his puffy lips. "I think it will be much easier if we simply agree not to lie to one another."

He grinned a horrid, bloodied smile. "Deal?"

She nocked another arrow, but her eyes flitted to the spot he had previously been pointing at. Within heartbeats the girl's bow was lying abandoned on the ground, the dust upset by her feet settled onto the black mahogany.

He was there. He was _there._

He was much thinner than she remembered; now he was nothing but sinewy muscles covered by tight, sunken skin. She wondered what sort of horrors he had been exposed to in the simple week they had been apart. He was pale and squinting, as if the sunlight was too much for his eyes to withstand.

She couldn't run _fast_ enough. Seconds weren't quick enough for her to be close to him. She wanted to be in front of him _now._

But her heart was fucking around in her chest, and she couldn't seem to catch her breath. He was _there,_ and god he was _alive_. She stopped short, watching him with large pepper eyes, she really wanted to touch him, to be sure he was there, to see if he was still so warm. But she couldn't seem to make her arms work. She wondered what kind of mess she looked like, covered with blood and wire fur. She swallowed a dry mouth, nose starting to rid itself of the damn smell of roses. He was there, and the scent of insanity drifted closer.

"Peeta," his eyes flickered up to her. But immediately darted away. He wouldn't look at her. And within that second long glance, she noticed that the normal lightning and ice wasn't there, they weren't even navy or cobalt.

His iris' were ink black.

Her hands starts to cooperate again and she reached towards him, fingertips coming to run down his cheek, and he was responding, his own thick hands were coming to touch her face. Dove eyes were half closed when the Hatter's fingers closed around her throat and the look in his face turned to disgust. Nose wrinkling, mouth a thin line.

"Damn Mockingjay." He muttered, and this time she felt her wings tear entirely from her body.

There was a scream from Finnick, more thundering footsteps, and the cackling screeching laughter coming from Snow.

Black stars began to dot her vision, causing internal explosions, like supernovas in her head. Stardust floated by and her lungs were begging for air. Fingers gripped into his as he lifted her into the air. She was nothing compared to his golden hammer. Strangled noises somehow left her throat but she couldn't find the strength to kick or fight back.

The beautiful iridescence he had held was stamped out. And the only thing that was left inside of him was darkness.

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_**x. o. x. o.**_

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She felt like hell. Her shoulders seemed to be dislocated from their sockets, and Katniss could only imagine the bruises that were blossoming from the Mutt's bites. She tried to move but fire lit in her veins and her body collapsed back into the sheets of the bed. It was like there was a blanket clouding her vision, cotton and spider webs filling her head. Her throat was thick and hurting. It hurt to swallow, it hurt to breath, it hurt to sit there and do nothing.

Her skin shuddered, eyes glazing over and staring at the stark white ceiling. She wished she were dead.

There was a delicate, soft knock at her door. But answering was too much effort and it opened within seconds anyway.

A shock of red hair walked in. He was battered and bruised as well, golden skin marred with different battle medals. They were tinted in purples and blues. There wasn't much light playing behind his green eyes. "Hello," he said gently, sitting down in a chair beside her bed, he took her cold fingers into his warmer ones and he gave her a broken smile. "How are you?"

She didn't answer again, her very blood felt thick as lead.

"That bad," he mumbled, thumb tracing over the contours of her knuckles, red tresses hanging in his eyes. "I'm so sorry Katniss."

"What happened?"

It was smaller than a whisper, thinner than the golden vapor Boggs loved to smoke. It caused flames to open in her throat and a metallic taste filled her mouth. She wondered if she was actually bleeding or just remembering.

Finnick seemed to think it over, his fingers tracing over the skin of her hand. There seemed to be a draft somewhere in the room because the temperature suddenly seemed to drop and Katniss felt her breath come in odd spurts.

"We were losing," he mumbled, "Really bad. Johanna had been captured, Haymitch's sword arm was severed…" he swallowed. "You lost a lot of blood, Alice. I thought you were going to die." His hand squeezed and crushed the bones in her fingers. "I thought I lost you, and I didn't know what to do."

"Finnick," she breathed.

His eyes darted up, startled but nodded when he saw the pain twisting in her face. "Boggs had a vision that we were all going to die, and Effie ran to tell Annie. She wouldn't have it. She made all the women suit up, even shoving Absolem into a suit of armor. They trekked to the Red Castle and just made it when Peeta started to strangle you. We saved you from the Hatter and I left you with Haymitch and Effie. We fought all over again, Annie ran to kill the Red King and I followed her, because if he was going to kill her, he'd have to kill me first. But by the time we made it to his balcony he was dead. There was blood leaking from his lips and staining a handkerchief."

He fell silent for a moment, shivering and shaking. His eyes were darting around and Katniss wondered if he saw things normal people didn't, because he was insane.

But then she remembered she was a lunatic too.

"We would all be dead if Annie hadn't come. She saved you with her magic once we knew Snow was dead, then she stopped Haymitch's bleeding and we found Johanna locked in one of the cells. She was pissed but otherwise okay."

Alice waited, absorbing the information. Annie saved her. "I wish I were dead." She murmured. Water pricked at the backs of her eyes as she remembered the look in Peeta's face as his thick hands wrapped around her throat.

Finnick's mouth fell open, but nothing came out. No words, no sounds, nothing. After a few more painful heartbeats, he closed it.

"March Hare, I have nothing." He remained silent; the muscles in his jaw working as he tried to think of something, so that he could comfort her. Because if anyone understood it was him. But his dull green eyes betrayed him and she knew he knew it too. "Where's Peeta?" she whispered finally.

He swallowed again, his digits were playing with her fingers, pushing and pulling them, and the girl suspected that he would be knotting his string if it was still in one piece. "The Hatter, he's uh-" his brows furrowed beneath layers of crimson hair and he refused to meet her gaze. "Peeta… he was being poisoned by Snow."

Her heart jumped awkwardly in her chest, and the extra pump of adrenaline didn't help the lead already sitting in her veins.

"The Larkspur, Tweedle Dum, and the White Queen are all examining him, trying to see if they can fix his mental state." He paused and looked around the room, unsure how to continue. "They showed him paintings of you and it just pissed him off. Snow… somehow screwed with his mind, Katniss. They messed with his memories. You can't see him until he's better."

The girl nodded, but it almost killed her. "Finnick," she whimpered, the water that had been building up finally flooded and overflowed down her olive cheeks, staining them. "What's a bird without its wings?"

She was hiccupping and crying, tears streaming down her face as snot leaked from her nose. She couldn't breathe, she couldn't move. It felt like whatever pieces of a heart she had left shattered into stardust in her chest, and she wished again that she were dead.

The March Hare watched her for another minute, lips pursed and brows furrowed, but without any true words of comfort, he gave her hand a squeeze, and left.

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_**x. o. x. o.**_

.

They all tried to see her, and lift her spirits. Haymitch came with his silver flask and a bandaged limb that used to be an arm. He sat with her, and watched her like a father would his daughter. She struggled to breathe as he repeatedly lifted the metal to his mouth, drinking and swigging whatever sour liquid was being kept in the tin.

"Sweetheart." Was the only word he slurred out, and after another few minutes of grey meeting grey, he left her.

Johanna and Annie arrived, staring. Annie tried to speak but Katniss refused to listen, eyes glazing over with gumdrop tears as she tried to block out any information about the Hatter and his broken mind. Johanna smacked Alice a few times, yelling and screaming at her to stop being a useless bitch. The blonde woman had been shaking and the crease in her brow illustrated that she wasn't quite angry, but Finnick broke in a little later and wrapped his golden arms around the Gryphon's small form. A volley of curses passed between the two, and Annie watched with tears in her own eyes as hopelessness grew in her heart. She turned her gaze on Katniss for a split second, lips trembling before turning herself and again abandoning the bird without any wings.

He said if you're alive and experiencing it, then it was real.

Alice bit her lip until blood leaked over her tongue, and the metallic taste made her gag. If you experience it then it was real. She sighed, fingers twitching, mind focusing on a patchwork hat and a golden watch she used to own.

If it was real, then why wasn't she dead?

Weeks later, after no more contact from the others, there was another knock on the door. It was fainter than a feather being dropped onto the marble floors; the noise was so slight the girl thought she almost didn't hear it.

But she had, and the door cracked open. Instead of hissing at the intruder to get out, she laid there, ignoring the presence. It had always worked before, just ignore them and they go away. They didn't understand the pain that was always swimming heavy in her chest.

But the presence didn't go away, instead moving closer and inhabiting the chair beside her bed.

When her eyes flitted to the person, just out of an inkling of curiosity, her heart broke again.

There, sitting in the chair, was the man with blond hair and swirling blue eyes.

"Peeta," she whimpered. Pepper orbs growing as she sat up, mouth hanging open.

He was sitting with his knees touching, hands folded into his lap. Lightning played behind long pale lashes that mixed and frothed in his messy bangs. There was ink running around the outermost edge of his iris that hadn't been there before. It swirled into cobalt which morphed into the ice and iridescent lightning.

His luster was back.

The Hatter bit a little at his lower lip, before raising his face and watching her. His patchwork hat was missing, and the shirt that hung on his frame was loose. Alice wondered if he was still struggling to regain what Snow had taken away.

"Hello." He mumbled delicately, voice low and apprehensive. He didn't seem to have more to say because he just sat there, staring at his hands.

"Hello," she murmured back, scanning and watching him, noting every rise of his chest as he breathed. The way his nose wrinkled and he wiped it before his hand fell back into his lap and wrapped around its mate. His wide shoulders seemed hunched together, and his full lips were pressed into a straight line, as if it was against his will to be there. Or like it hurt to be in the same room with her.

They sat in silence, nothing but the sounds of breathing broke the quiet. And eventually Katniss couldn't stand it anymore. With anyone else the silence was a welcome friend, but she would give almost anything for him to speak.

She opened her throat, to say anything really. Question how he was, ask what happened to him, demand why he had attempted to strangle her. But what came out was entirely different.

"_Are you, are you coming to the tree?  
Where they strung up a man they say murdered three.  
Strange things did happen here, no stranger would it be,  
if we met up at midnight in the hanging tree._

_Are you, are you coming to the tree?  
Where the dead man calls out for his love to flee.  
Strange things did happen here, no stranger would it be,  
if we met up at midnight in the hanging tree._

_Are you, are you coming to the tree?  
Where I told you to run so we'd both be free.  
Strange things did happen here, no stranger would it be,  
if we met up at midnight in the hanging tree._

_Are you, are you coming to the tree?  
Wear a necklace of rope side by side with me.  
Strange things did happen here, no stranger would it be,  
if we met up at midnight in the hanging tree._

_Strange things did happen here, no stranger would it be,  
if we met up at midnight in the hanging tree_."

He looked up at her, a stunned expression on his face, mouth hanging open as his brows climbed higher on his forehead. The lasting notes died in her throat and she felt herself blush. She didn't know why the song had suddenly decided it wanted to be sung, but she looked quickly down at her fingers and picked at the skin surrounding her nails.

"Do you know that came from here?" Peeta mumbled, coming to sit on the edge of his seat. It looked as if he wanted to touch her, but something inwardly held him back. "Rue used to sing it to me. She said… she said it was about me."

Alice shook her head. "I didn't know. My father used to sing it to us, the birds would stop singing just to hear him for a moment."

The blond male nodded. "I remember your father. The mockingjays would fall silent to listen." After another bout of silence, the man's hand was gently pulling her fingers into its confines. "Katniss," He shook his head and bit his tongue. "I'm so sorry." His eyes darted around the white of her comforter as if it held the words he was searching for. "I'm sorry about trying to kill you, and Primrose being murdered. I'm sorry that you fell into Underland and I'm so, _so_ sorry that I'm this selfish, that I still want to keep you."

Her head lulled to the side, causing a few strands of hair to fall into her face. He pushed them back again, and she could smell the calming insanity flowing from him. His hands were warm and she felt the bits of stardust in her chest glue itself back together again.

She shook her head. "I missed you Hatter."

He grinned and leaned into her, kissing the corner of her mouth. "I missed you too Alice."


	15. Crescent Moon

Okay everyone, seriously? I'm SO! So! So sorry. This last chapter was one of the hardest to write and I believe it took the longest. However it's the longest in return :) I hope you all enjoy it. Please leave a review and let me know what you think.

I was to sincerely thank each and every one of you for your time and your thoughts. This story wouldn't be here without you guys, whether you've been here through the journey or just catching up now. I appreciate each and every one of you. Thank you, really. I love you guys

I don't own the Hunger Games or Alice in Wonderland

* * *

.

_Tick Tock_

.

With Peeta by her side, she finally ventured from her bedroom. Everything was the same, but different too. The walls were still stark white, and the marble floor still shone freshly polished like gleaming moonlight. But the people filling the corridor were dressed in a plethora of color. They ranged from the dreaded color red the whole way through to blue, hitting and exploring every hue and tone in between. There was a melody of whispers sneaking through the passages and Katniss couldn't help but feel her toes curl in happiness in the golden slippers Effie had dropped off a week before.

The people smiled as she and Peeta passed, murmuring thanks with looks of admiration on their faces. The Hatter's hand was warm in hers and she could feel her soul stitching back together with her body.

Haymitch nodded at them, a pink Tweedle Dum by his side, fixing the bandage that was still over his stump of an arm. She turned with his movement and flashed the pair a huge smile, bright white teeth blinding.

The Larkspur was there too, a little off from the large group of people. The golden wire was in his boney hands and he was muttering and mumbling to himself. Katniss acknowledged him as they walked by and he lifted his entwined hands in return.

Randomly wandering, their feet carried them down another corridor. This one lined with floor to ceiling windows that looked out at the grounds below and the sky above. There were plants growing in separate beds, mixing with wild grasses and flowers. A creature that looked similar to a deer stepped out, the only difference was the fact that its hooves appeared to be dipped in gold, and its antlers coated in crystal.

Katniss pulled Peeta along with her, pressing her face against the glass, watching the odd creature sniff at the foliage before trotting off into the denser area of vegetation. Air rushed into the girl's lungs as her dove eyes scanned over the scene, coming to finally rest on the bright sky high above them.

It was blue, like the ocean from her world. Calm and tranquil, a few tufts of clouds floated by, like the frothing sea foam after a crashing wave. A few mockingjays flew by, and even though Katniss couldn't hear them, she knew they were singing.

"Hatter," she mumbled delicately, eyes darting to him quickly. "Wh-why is… why is the sky different?"

She felt her heart beating oddly in her chest, a similar feeling of panic breaking over her. But the male gave her a soft smile, his fingers offering a reassuring squeeze before he spoke tenderly. "When Annie regained control of Underland, the sky turned back. It was orange and red because of the Red King. But with Annie it is blue and green." he paused and breathed for a few moments, his own swirling eyes moved to the new stratosphere and the girl beside him couldn't help pick up the bits of anxiety swimming inside him.

Alice was about to open her mouth but he continued. "It's different," he muttered, an ink color edging into his iris. "I don't like that it's different, it doesn't look like home."

She nodded without really realizing what she was doing, her mind came to rest on china blue eyes she used to protect along with the fact that she would never look at them again. As they stood there, staring at the offending atmosphere; swift, hurried steps closed in on them from behind.

The pair turned and was faced with an angry Johanna. Her blonde hair was sticking up in odd angles, contrasting with the width between her brown eyes. The patchwork hat was clutched in a white knuckled fist and she almost threw it at the blond male.

"Here," She hissed, shoving the object into his hand before picking up Katniss' palm and depositing Prim's golden watch in it. "You two need to stop fooling around and be responsible for your things. I'm not going to look after you anymore."

"What's wrong with you?" Alice asked shortly, feeling some of her skin prickle with irritation. The Gryphon would never be happy with her; there would always be something to complain about.

The woman looked insulted at the statement, her nose wrinkling as she frowned. "Well, when someone risks their life for me, I tend to say thank you. When I risk my life for someone else, I expect a thanks in return."

"Thank you?" Katniss said as her eyebrows knitted on her forehead.

"Not me, you idiot. Annie. Neither of you have thanked her for what she's done. **You**-" she jabbed a finger at Alice's chest. "Never thanked her _or _apologized for abandoning the main point of you mission. And _you_, Hatter, you went completely bonkers and didn't even thank her for fixing you, for the second time." Johanna's brown eyes were narrowed into slits. The brunette opened her mouth to speak but Peeta's soft voice made her stop short.

"You're right," he mumbled. "We haven't thanked her," his blue eyes turned on the Mockingjay then. "We should go."

With a final glare at Johanna's smug look Katniss was pulled along behind Peeta, his hand resting easily in hers. His eyes glancing out the wide windows every few footsteps. He kept muttering and mumbling under his breath, though the only words Katniss heard were _unsettling _and _orange._

When they entered the white Throne Room, Annie didn't even look up at them. Her green eyes were resting on the white floor; a short gown fell to her crossed knees as a hand aimlessly grazed her lower abdomen. Ringlets of chocolate hair framed her face and after Alice and the Hatter took a few more steps forward, her eyes darted to them.

"Annie," the Katniss said softly, watching Peeta as he bowed slightly before stepping closer. "We came to thank you."

Confusion seeped across her face as her brows furrowed and her mouth fell open in the delicate 'oh' shape in seemed accustomed to. "Thank me for what Alice?"

The girl went to speak, but Peeta cut her off with a small nudge of his hand. "We want to properly show our gratitude for the actions you took while we were all at the Red King's castle. You risked so much, for the kingdom and for yourself, when you decided to come and save us. Without you we would all be dead, and we just want to say thank you."

Realization dawned in her eyes and swiftly she jumped up from her throne chair, gracefully floating towards them. "Do you know what the color white means?"

Eagerness shone clearly through her features and when her question was met with blank looks she continued. Her fingers twitched at her sides before coming to lie on her abdomen again.

"White is the color of purity, innocence… it could go as far as being the color of childhood. It is the color of emotional freedom. Like a blank canvas," her gaze switched to Peeta at that moment, and he nodded at the idea. "It's the color of this kingdom, and when the Red King took over, he took Underland's purity and innocence away. He caused the people to focus and worry all the time. Red, the color of anger and hatred." Her lips pursed into a frown before breaking into a grin.

"But thanks to you two, and Finnick and Effie and Haymitch… we can work on making it a beautiful place again. Make it elegant, and purify it. White is the only color that has a hand in everything. You need all the colors to make white, and so, everything will be included. The people don't have to worry anymore. Not about food or going hungry, not about being picked at random to become Tributes to the Hunger Games. They can decide their own fate. Just like we can."

She looked fondly down at her stomach. "We can choose now." And the smile that captured her face made the others' hearts jump. Tears filled her eyes. "Everything's okay now. Because of you two." She shook her head, brown curls bouncing. "So thank you."

Katniss was in the process of digesting the information. Imagining how happy all the citizens of Underland would be. That they wouldn't have to worry about wars or famine anymore. And she couldn't help but think of Primrose again, and how much the younger Everdeen would have loved the idea and fought to the death for it. Suddenly, it seemed, there were footsteps and Alice turned to see the March Hare coming into the room from the large doorway. He was back to being golden again, almost gleaming as he walked by. He grinned at Katniss and nodded at Peeta before kissing Annie's cheek as he took her hand and led her back to the chair.

"You must sit my love; you're in a delicate condition now."

Annie grinned at them all again, it was like the sun, warming their skin and causing something like happiness to bloom in their chests.

.

_**x. o. x. o.**_

.

They began to fall into a routine. Waking up together in the morning, speaking in soft voices and using soft words, before getting up and heading to breakfast. Painting became a daily activity. Peeta tried to teach her, sitting behind her and grasping her hand around the brush with tender large hands. He smelled like insanity and happiness, and the girl couldn't help but lean into him.

She showed him the way to knock an arrow, and where to find an anchor point. That proper form was to keep the arm steady and aim before letting out a shallow breath. He would smile at her when he hit the bullseye and she couldn't help but beam back at him.

They helped Effie and Haymitch adapt to the fact that he only had one hand. He hissed at them and glared every time Katniss insisted on doing things for them. But eventually he became silent and thanked her with a cocked eyebrow and an insulting tone.

Peeta liked to bake for her instead of going to dinner. Creating pastries and cheese buns. Twisting the dough into complicated knots and dusting the golden, finished crusts with powdered sugar and glazing different ones with sweet honey. The bread sometimes stuck to her fingers, or would dissolve easily on her tongue. But whatever he did, it was wonderful.

The black in his eyes faded to navy, and a smile was never far from his lips. It was a few minutes after she had eaten a pastry, still licking the colored icing from her fingertips when he tackled her to the bed. Kissing at her neck and pulling her tight against his body. She wrapped her arms around his torso, unable to help herself from giggling she had a smile painted bright across her cheeks.

"Peeta," she mumbled tenderly, watching him for a moment when he took a second to meet her eyes. "Do you think Primrose is alive somewhere?"

He fell silent as the smile disintegrated from his mouth. He observed her with blank eyes. He had gotten better at hiding his emotions ever since he returned from Snow's grasp. His eyes refused to betray him anymore, and his features took a look of complete neutrality, skin relaxing as his brows remained calm above his eyes.

"Why do you ask?" He hadn't gotten control over his voice.

"I just…" her fingers twirled through the blond strands on his head. "I keep thinking about her, and how much she would have loved this place if she was still alive. I want to know what happened when she died. She passed here, but is she alive in my world?"

"This is your world Katniss. You're Alice, you're the Mockingjay, you belong here."

She felt the stardust again. "I know you want me to-" ink encircled the male's iris, contracting around his pupil, which shrunk to the size of a pinprick. "I just have to know, Peeta. I need to know if she's still alive or not. I think about her all the time and I feel like I'm going mad. I want to go home."

The muscles in his jaw clenched, and she felt his hands move away from her waist. "Home." It was even but faraway, like he was a hallway away from her, his voice muffled by the distance. "Where is that." It didn't seem to be directed at her, more of a statement than a question.

There was a pause where there were no sounds except for their breathing, and it seemed as the heartbeats passed, that the black in the male's eyes seemed to flare and grow. Soon it encased more than half of his iris.

"Katniss you need to leave." He said it softly as he moved away from her. Without his body heat the girl shivered. His large hands came up to his ears and pressed tight against his skull. Words were mumbling and falling quickly from his lips.

"Peeta-"

"Alice get the hell out!" He screamed. The color drained from her face as she noted the blackness in his look. It was dark and menacing, and she knew somewhere in the back of her mind that he was ready to pounce on her again.

Except this time it wouldn't be a result of kisses and pastries.

Tears pulled painfully at the back of her grey eyes and she stood slowly from the comfort of his mattress and moved towards the doorway. Her hand was resting on the knob when he spoke again. It was rough and cracking. Her skin prickled and her entire being shook, fingers twitching and picking at the fabric of her dress.

"And Alice, don't come back."

.

_**x. o. x. o.**_

.

"Katniss?" it was Effie's delicate voice that came closer. She was wrapped up in her closest again, but this time she had failed to close the door the whole way. The corridor had been bare and her sobs ricocheted off the marble and back into her ears. "Katniss, what's wrong?"

The girl sniffled and shook her head, trying to swallow the mucus in her throat but it refused to go down. She choked and cried harder. The look in the male's features refused to leave her mind easily. It was an expression of disgust and anger. Like she was the squished bug beneath his shoe. Just because she wanted to go home.

Effie pulled her into a tight hug; her thin arms were much stronger than Katniss would have ever guessed.

"Whatever it was," she said tenderly, hushing and humming at the girl as she rocked them gently back and forth. "It will work out. Look, Peeta's back at the castle, and Haymitch is home. Annie has Finnick, and the Red King is destroyed. Everything has worked out. You got back what you wanted."

_Her heart will be stolen but the most unstable of us all, but not before she loses her very best friend._

"No," Katniss moaned. "I didn't get back what I wanted." A gaze of china blue flashed through her mind again, and the peeling laughter of her baby sister. "Effie, how can you leave Underland? H-how did my father get back to my mother."

The woman's grip tensed and Alice knew she hit a nerve. "I-I'm not supposed to tell you that."

"Effie-"

"No." the pink woman said sternly, pulling away to meet the grey eyes. "I swore an oath years ago to never reveal the exit to Real Alice, for fear she would run away before the battle was over."

"But the battle _is_ over Effie!"

But the woman shook her head and refused to speak. Instead wiping the vestiges of tears away that were still sticking to the young girl's eyelashes. "Come, speak with Annie." And the woman led her through the series of hallways.

The other brunette woman was again sitting at her throne. Her belly was protruding slightly, and Finnick was beside her. They were speaking in low voices, chuckles and ringing giggles filled the room with life. Effie gave Katniss a smile before leaving her and heading to an unknown location.

Alice watched the March Hare and the White Queen for a few moments. Observing with envy the way he would smile and then kiss her, as if the only thing in the world he was worried about was making her grin at him.

The Mockingjay faked a cough and even then it took a few seconds for the woman to tear her gaze away from her beloved to look at Katniss. "Yes?" she murmured.

"I-I…" she didn't know why she was here. Effie had led her here after telling her she couldn't reveal how her father had traversed between the worlds. "How did Colton Everdeen get back to his home?" she asked timidly, afraid of being refused once more.

By the expression that took the woman's face, something like pity mixed with resignation, made the Everdeen frown. "Dear Alice, I cannot tell you. We all promised not to expose it to you. If you must know, you have to get the Hatter to divulge it. He was entrusted with the responsibility of taking care of you when you finally arrived."

They stared at each other uncomfortably for a few seconds before the woman tried to turn back to Finnick. But Kat spoke again.

"Why did Rue tell Peeta he was the subject of the Hanging Tree?"

Surprise flooded across Annie's face, and then she smiled. Alice hadn't noticed the small dimples in her cheeks until that moment. "Have you not listened to the lyrics closely?" Irritation sprang up in the girl's mind, but instead of hissing that she _knew_ the song, she simply shook her head and feigned ignorance.

"Well," the Queen started briskly. "The tree is synonymous with Underland. The place where the lovers must meet up. Strange things like talking flowers and animals who converse with humans. A cat who smiles. He, the Hatter that is, is the one who is accused of murder. His family was killed in a fire, and our dear Hatter might have lost a little bit of sanity on the way to Underland. Rue…" the woman shook her head. "Peeta had been captured by Snow before. Tortured and mutilated, his mind and body, and when he came back… Rue was more fragile than a bird. She didn't stand a chance against him."

Somewhere between her lungs and her mouth, Kat's breath stuck. It refused to move in or out, and her world spun quickly. Everything blurred together and she had the impression of falling. But when the white melted back into the floor and she could properly see Annie again, she had miraculously managed to remain standing. "What?" she said weakly.

"Effie had failed to remain vigilant with him that day, and he got away. He found Rue and killed her. He was under the impression that she was Real Alice. That was a part of Snow's original plan. To have Alice's love murder her before she could bring about his ruin." Annie shrugged. "Peeta never forgave himself, and I assume he's struggling with you being so close to him."

The girl was silent; no words came to her mind. Annie watched her for a while until ultimately turning back to Finnick who had managed to remain quiet the whole time.

.

_**x. o. x. o.**_

.

Her feet dragged as she headed back to her bedroom. The sky outside was a deep velvety green. Her mind was swimming and drowning in thoughts of Rue, the beautiful dark skinned girl who the Hatter had loved. And who he ended up killing.

She couldn't wrap her mind around the idea, the fact that he was Alice's biggest asset, and her biggest enemy. Given the chance, the part of him Snow poisoned would kill her without hesitation. But she knew after the fact, he would regret it and loathe himself for the rest of his life.

What a cruel fate.

She opened the white door to her room and stopped dead in her tracks. He was sitting there, head hanging as his hands twisted and untwisted together.

"Peeta?" she asked softly, stepping cautiously closer.

His neck snapped up so that he could see her, and relief was plain in his face. "Katniss," he breathed her name and motioned to a cupcake that was sitting on a delicate looking plate. "I wanted to apolo-"

But the girl shook her head and held up her hand. "No, it's okay. I understand."

Their eyes played a game of tag, and before long the male realized the conversation she must have had with Annie. "Seriously, Alice I-I-"

But she stepped closer and embraced him, letting herself sink into his lap. "Just tell me how to get home, Hatter. I can't take anymore magic and madness. I need the world to make sense again, because I feel like I'm losing my mind."

He nudged his mouth into her hair and placed a kiss on her skull. "I understand," he mumbled, grip tightening. "I'll take you tomorrow. So that you can be home, and so that Primrose can be returned to you."

.

_**x. o. x. o.**_

.

They were stalking through dense glades, the blades of grass brushing higher than their waists. There were thick trees that had vivid red trunks and glowing yellow leaves. There were blossoms floating along the water than ran over their feet. The petals were streaked blue and orange, a purple light emitting from their centers.

"Where are we?" Alice mumbled, making sure to keep Peeta's back directly in front of her eyes. Odd noises kept drifting from deeper in the trees, and Katniss wasn't interested in seeing the origin of the sounds. After facing the Mutts she didn't want to meet any of Underland's other animals.

"We're in the marshes. The mockingjays mostly live around here," there was a short pause as another snuffling growl emitted from the underbrush. "Among other things. But it the mockingjays, they'll take you back home." He continued, taking her silence as confusion. "They can fly with more than triple their weight attached to them. You'll be holding onto one of them, their tail feathers usually work best. And he'll fly you home."

"But won't I look silly coming back, flying attached to a bird?"

Peeta shook his head at her tone, there was a ghost of a grin pulling at his lips, but as he was walking ahead of her, she missed it. "He'll drop you off and go and find the birds your father brought back when he returned home."

The girl fell into silence. Lifting the hem of her dress, they trekked on, and she grew tired. After what seemed like hours, they were entering into an even denser area of the glades. Songs started to swirl around them, bouncing from tree to tree and reflecting off of the water beneath them. Her dove eyes rolled around the area, noting the thick layers of leaves littering the water that now reached her ankles. The air started to grow sweet, like mangos and peaches were being held directly beneath her nostrils.

"Here," the Hatter said finally. The luscious red trunks around them were larger than an elephant's middle, their branches rose high into the air, kissing now and then with a passing cloud. They were laden heavily with leaves, blossoms, and a multitude of birds. The plethora of creatures were chattering and tweeting to one another, while others still sang, beautiful noises and sounds trilling from their delicate throats. "We're here."

He lifted his arm into the air as the girl continued to take in her surroundings. She thought it was the best thing Underland had ever given her. An inquisitive mockingjay twittered for a moment before his curiousness got the better of him. He fluttered down and perched regally on Peeta's arm. Its talons curled effortlessly around the pale forearm, the creature's head tilting to stare into one of the Hatter's blue eyes.

"Hello," said the male softly, stroking the bird, careful not to disturb any of the white and black feathers. "Alice," he spoke after a few seconds of silently conversing with the large animal hanging on his arm. "He will take you home. He says Colton wanted him to."

Katniss desperately wanted to know _how_ exactly Peeta was talking to the bird, but she kept her impulse under control and simply nodded her head.

"Just stick your arm out," the blond said, motioning at her. She obeyed the command and the bird immediately switched perches, sitting instead on Katniss' much weaker arm. But, to her immense surprise, the fowl was about as heavy as a feather. His head cocked side to side, staring into her grey eyes, almost like he were deciphering something. Peeta threw a fleeting grin at her, and this time she caught it. But not before noting the sadness that swam close to the surface.

"Peet-"

"Alice, you should go now."

He took a few steps back from her, the way they had come. Panic filled her chest and her heart entered into her throat. Constricting the small space so much that she felt like she couldn't breathe. "What's going to happen when I get back?" she asked quickly, almost hysterically. She didn't want to be away from him.

Another broken smile was passed to her. "You go back to living your normal life."

It was simple, and should have been easy. But the girl wasn't sure how to. Go back to being seen as a lunatic because she believed in a world called Underland. Go and live in a place that had no magic and no Mad Queens. No March Hares to keep her in line or Effies to lend a friendly ear.

He said nothing else, and the mockingjay was looking at her expectantly, so she cautiously grabbed a handful of the bird's thick tail plumage. But before the creature could spread its huge wings, she said quickly: "I never answered your question."

That gained her a quizzical blue eyed look.

"My home," she spoke so softly that the noise was almost lost in the mockingjays' din. "It's with you Peeta."

And then she flicked her perch-arm into the air and the mockingjay raised its wings, the tips almost grazing the sides of the glade, and pressed them hard down. The motion caused both the bird and the girl to soar yards into the sky. And without another look, or another word, the girl was gone.

And the Hatter was left staring stupidly into the damned blue sky.

.

_**x. o. x. o.**_

.

Her head was hurting again, and breathing felt close to impossible. Her throat felt parched and suddenly she was thirstier than she ever had been. It was like she passed through the desert, ate the sand, and sun bathed for a thousand years. Her eyes cracked open and then immediately slammed shut.

The room she was in was bright, stark white. More blinding than the White Castle had been, and the girl was confused.

"Look, she's opened her eyes!"

The soft female voice made Katniss rip her eyelids open again, despite the stinging it awarded her. There beside her, pale and blonde and delicate as always, was her dear Primrose.

"Katniss," there was a smile on her baby sister's pink lips. "You ga-"

But the young girl couldn't finish her sentence. The eldest Everdeen sister clambered from her sheets as quickly as possible, wrapping her arms around the thin girl. There was a surprised stiffness in the blonde's spine, but then she leaned into the embrace and let her own arms lace around Kat's waist. The older girl was surprised to feel tears pulling sharply at the back of her eyes.

_She's okay, she's okay, she's okay… she's okay._

Primrose giggled quickly, her slender fingers working through the mass of Katniss' brown hair. There was an unpleasant noise that came from beside them, it landed somewhere between a cough and a bark. Alice looked and saw Gale sitting there, his gaze was reproachful, a slight glare in his deep grey eyes.

"Oh, like I was saying," Prim said quickly, flushing pink as she pulled herself from her sister's death grip. "You gave us quite a scare, Kat." She grinned softly; china blue eyes darted to the male before settling back on her sister. "Gale-"

"I thought I'd lost you Prim." Katniss said hurriedly, ignoring the irritated look the boy was throwing her way. "I mean, after the Dormouse, a-and the way the March Hare said I'd lost blood. They almost didn't let me come back, but I had to _know._"

"Not this again," Gale muttered under his breath before pressing his lips together and forcefully reaching for Kat's hands. "Listen to me." He looked directly into her eyes. "You- I don't know exactly what you were doing- but you were running through the grounds-"

"I was following the White Rabbit."

Katniss said the words with finality, as if the statement answered what she had been doing. But the male ignored her and continued. "Primrose ran after you, and you fell into a sinkhole. You hit your head pretty hard on a rock," his voice became considerably gentler by this point and his fingers started to trace around the contours of her face. "And your sister fell after you. You both got hurt. There was a lot of blood Katniss, when we found you we were all really scared." He paused and took a few breathes here, waiting for the seriousness of the situation to dawn on the girl's face. But when she continued to stare back at him, he continued.

"Dr. Aurelius came and treated both of you. After a few days Primrose woke up," he looked at the blonde, giving a fleeting smile that reminded Katniss of someone else. "But you… you didn't. You've been asleep for at least a month. You kept muttering and twitching. I… I, uhm, I held your hand through it because I didn't know what to do." There was a look of sincerity behind his eyes now, and she wondered if that's what founded the warmth in Peeta's hands. "I didn't want you to be alone in whatever you were going through."

Primrose stood delicately. "I'm," she looked between the two of them. "I'll go get mother, I'll be back." And then she walked out. Katniss wanted to call after her and almost did, thinking of volunteering Gale for the job, she really didn't want the blonde out of her sight. But Gale's hands were now holding hers tightly, and she was forced to sit and talk with him.

"I was scared I was going to lose you Katniss." He said softly, tucking a piece of long brown hair behind her ear and out of her face. "I didn't know what to do." His voice had dropped to a whisper, and before she knew what was happening, his lips pressed quickly against her forehead.

"Gale…" she watched him a moment. "I appreciate it." She saw a smile blossom on his face but she shook her head. "But, you can't lose me. You don't have me."

He stared at her, mouth hanging open in blatant shock at the statement. Within seconds his brows furrowed deep into his face, casting his grey eyes in deep hooded shadows. A question was working its way from his throat when Primrose reappeared with Mrs. Everdeen at her side.

The remark must have died in his throat as the mother began to fuss over her eldest daughter, tears coming to her eyes as she hushed and spoke in little whispers. Prim sat smiling widely, unaware of the tension between the two teenagers. Gale got up and left shortly thereafter, shoving his hands into his pockets, muttering and mumbling about women.

Eventually Mrs. Everdeen left too, under the pretense of getting dinner ready, and once again Prim and Kat were alone.

Grey eyes met blue ones, and they giggled lightly over their mother's antics. "She was really worried." The blonde said.

Katniss nodded. "I'm sorry." She stared at her fingers, experiencing a familiar feeling of having so much to say but no way to voice it. "I-i… you don't remember any of it?" She asked quietly.

A flaxen eyebrow disappeared behind pale bangs. "Remember what, running through the grounds?"

Alice shook her head. "No, Und-_Wonderland_ Primrose? You were there too." With the blank face she received Katniss hissed slightly. "The orange and red sky, blue and purple trees? Th-the Tweedles and the mad man, the March Hare?" her brows furrowed together, that same feeling of desperation falling in her chest. "Wonderland, Primrose. You were there."

Had it all been a dream?

The younger girl's eyes widened. "Katniss don't talk like that. You know father used to tell stories about Wonderland." There was an edge to the normally happy voice. "I don't like hearing about it, it reminds me of him."

"It's _real_ Primrose. I was there!" But the girl continued to shake her head. "Don't you remember Buttercup? The Cheshire-"

"Kat, you must be able to process information white you're asleep." She watched her unevenly for a second. "There was a stray cat that came to live with us, just within the last day, and I named him Buttercup." She took a moment to scuff the soles of her feet off the bottom of the floor. "Listen Katniss, you just need to rest. You were asleep for a really long time; you need to sort things out. I'm going to go help mother in the kitchen." Even with multiple pleas for the girl not to leave, the blonde quickly stepped out. Katniss was about to get out of the bed and follow her, force her to remember. But there was a distinctive _click_ when Primrose left, and Alice realized with horror that she was locked inside the room.

Panic welled up again, except this time she didn't have Peeta with her. She felt herself shake and her fingers twitched manically. The girl quickly grabbed the mass of tangled hair and quickly began to braid it together.

Because that was the only thing she had left that was from him.

.

_**x. o. x. o.**_

.

With nothing to do for the next few weeks, the girl tried to rearrange her mind. Placing all the mental scars into the _not real_ category, while the grey, cranky, fluff ball that was Buttercup went into _real_. Primrose would sit with her sometimes, reading Kat information from one of her textbooks, testing herself on the human anatomy while Katniss kept track of her progress in the book itself.

Gale puttered through, sitting beside her and describing all of his little sister's development. Posy was going on three years old and the idea of the small girl tottering around made Katniss smile, and action she rarely performed anymore.

Eventually they let her leave the house, after Dr. Aurelius promised the family that she wasn't a harm to herself or anyone else. No one would stand to listen to her experiences in Underland, all of them labeled the experiences as stories or dreams; no matter how many times Alice had told them it was real.

It was one day months later, in the summertime as heat sat heavily in the air, when Katniss was sitting outside by herself. The sun had set hours before, Primrose and mother heading inside to go to bed. The sky was clear, not a cloud littered the atmosphere, and for what seemed like the billionth time, tears were leaking from her grey eyes.

The moon was nothing but a golden sliver, dotted and punctuated by diamond stars against the velvet black sky. The gold reminded the girl of Cinna's glittering eyeliner, which reminded her of the beautiful white Mockingjay dress he had made for her. And _that _forced her to think about Peeta, and the day he let her into his room for the first time.

She was sniffling and wiping at her face, trying to get a grip on herself before her howls woke the whole damn household, when she heard a few shuffling footsteps.

Her eyes darted away from the astral sky to the source of the sound and her breathe caught once more.

"Hi," he said softly, walking closer to her and sitting on the green grass. The blue in his eyes didn't swirl anymore, and there wasn't a black ring around the edge, but there was still a deliberate sense of lunacy leaking from him. "I see how weird Underland was to you the first time you were here." He spoke the words delicately, giving her a smile.

"P-peeta, wh-what are you…?"

There was another smile from him and he looked at her skeptically, "Did you really think I was going to leave you alone here?" she didn't answer the question but felt the water leak out of her eyes for a whole new reason. She tried to speak but her voice was lost somewhere between her lungs and her mouth so she just gaped at him for a few minutes until she shut her lips.

"Besides," he said tenderly, with a half-smile sitting smugly on his face his fingers searched and found hers, wrapping them in a warmth that Gale could never compete with. His eyes flickered back to the gleaming golden crescent moon. "I don't know if I ever told you, but you're home to me too."

.

..


End file.
